


Sleeping Soundly

by sarai377



Series: Sleeping Soundly [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 19:07:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4403708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarai377/pseuds/sarai377
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin is willing to try almost anything to have a good night's sleep, and to get rid of the nightmares that plague him. But Chrom's suggestion might be too much.</p>
<p>Male Robin/Chrom</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Robin awoke with the phantom remnants of the nightmare clinging to his clammy skin, and a cry fading from his lips. He lurched upright in his chilly tent, hands clasped to his mouth to silence the gasps. His fingers encountered cold, wet tears on his cheeks again. 

Again... he had experienced that same nightmare again. As his body relaxed in tiny increments, he carefully prodded at the memory in his mind. Unlike normal dreams, which everyone else told him would fade, these stayed as vivid and horrifying as the moment he'd experienced them. 

It was the one where he killed Chrom, tonight. In the moment of their greatest triumph, Robin stabbed him with his Thoron magic - for no distinguishable reason.

_"This is not your... your fault."_  Chrom's dying words echoed through his mind, and the tears didn't stop. _"Promise me you'll escape from this place."_

He hated this dream the most. The ones where he hunted down and killed the other Shepherds were easier to take. But this one had been the first, and the most frequent. 

Robin chewed on the inside of his cheek until he tasted the coppery tang of blood, but the memory lingered. There could be no more sleeping tonight, after that... he was wired as if he'd just drunk a whole pot of Maribelle's strongest tea. 

He hated sleeping. 

Maybe he could just stay awake forever. 

It was a testament to how much the nightmares wore on him, that he seriously considered it. As he rose and threw on his cloak with hands that only trembled a little, he thought about it. Logically, he knew it was not a good idea. His tactical skills functioned best when he was awake and well-rested. On the other hand, he wasn't getting much rest when the nightmares came, either. 

He went to the remnants of their fire pit and sat down on a stump they had dragged nearby, to serve as a crude bench. The tears slowly dried on his face as he stared into the dying embers. 

He sat there for a long time, thinking things through in his mind. The next days' march, the nightmares, how he could convince everyone he was sleeping when in fact he wasn't... 

"Can't sleep?" Frederick asked, startling Robin's head out of his hands. He stared up at the knight, who had a pile of firewood in his arms. 

Robin gave him an easy smile, an expression he'd practiced so many times that it seemed genuine to everyone except himself. "I'm thinking about today's march, and what we'll find at the end of it."

Frederick grunted, and Robin rose, offering to take some of the wood out of Frederick's hands. 

"It's quiet and peaceful this early in the morning," Robin said, more to try and make a human connection than to cover for the fact he wasn't able to sleep. The logs were rough and tugged at his cloak sleeves.

Frederick grunted again. "Mmm. That it is. Before the sun rises, the camp is quiet, and still. I enjoy it." 

Robin watched as Frederick carefully piled on the wood into a pyramid shape, allowing air to flow through to feed the fire. Eventually Frederick moved on to another chore, leaving Robin to his ruminations. 

Deep down, he worried that one night he would awake from the nightmare, but it wouldn't end. He would just arise and his nightmares would become reality.

He shuddered.

He was surprised to find that he'd made a decision. He was just not going to sleep. Yes, his tactical abilities might suffer, but it was worth it, to keep from experiencing those nightmares that wore him down. 

As dawn brightened the sky, he felt better than he had in the last couple of weeks. 

*

It had been four days since he last slept. The camp around him had faded into a haze of lights and sounds, and Robin walked like a zombie through it. He smiled, happiness running through him in parallel to his exhaustion. This was good. It had been four days since his last nightmare.

Lissa greeted him as she passed, and he nodded. "Hi, Maribelle, " he said. He didn't notice the strange look she gave him.

He sat down at the fire pit, feeling a bit like there was something he needed to do, but couldn't quite recall it. It would come to him eventually. Stahl started telling a story to Robin, and a few of the others gathered around, and as they laughed at Stahl's self-deprecating tale of romance, Robin thought he might never have to see himself killing Stahl or Cordelia again. He grinned, and then Stahl slapped him on the back and said, "So, is there any lucky woman in your life, Robin?"

"W-woman?" Robin asked, freezing, and then forced himself to relax. "No, there's no one yet. I think Tharja might curse any woman I was interested in, anyway." 

Cordelia and Stahl chuckled. "I don't know why you put up with her," Stahl said. 

"She's fine. Right, Tharja?" he called, and was pleased to hear a rustle of cloth behind him as she stepped grudgingly out of the shadows. 

"I just like to make sure you're all right," she said in that low, sultry voice, and came to sit beside him. "I've seen your sleep patterns change over the past few days." 

Robin swallowed. Was the jig up? Did she know he hadn't been sleeping? He plastered another smile on his face and said, "Well, there's been a lot to plan, so I haven't been sleeping as much as I should." 

She frowned, but didn't say anything else. Her knee bumped his, and her eyes peered deep into him. She knew, for certain. But she wasn't going to tell anyone. He'd spent enough time with her to read some of her moods. 

"I haven’t been sleeping well, either," Stahl said. "It's hard to sleep here, halfway across the world from home." 

Robin nodded, grateful for the save and the turn of conversation. Vaike spoke of the strange customs of the Chon'sin villages they'd passed, and the conversation moved away from Robin. He thought he was safe. 

"Robin. Come with me," a deep voice said, and a hand fell on his shoulder. He started, and looked up at Chrom. His heart beat a little faster at the pinched look on Chrom's face. Did he know? Robin pasted that smile on his face, and Chrom relaxed, saying, "We need to talk strategy for tomorrow." 

"Ah, okay." He rose unsteadily, and Tharja put her hand on his back, helping him balance. She didn't follow him like she usually did, and he thought that was strange. 

Chrom walked away from Robin, and he followed hesitantly. The prince led Robin back to Robin's tent and held the flap for Robin to pass through first. It took Robin a few seconds to realize something was off. To his left, a low table had been set up, with two cushions side by side. 

"What is this?" He asked, frowning. He couldn't really remember the last time he ate - dinnertime seemed to pass right by even on well-rested days. Normally Tharja dragged him out for food at some point before he passed out from starvation. 

"I thought you needed something to eat," Chrom said, gesturing to the table of food he'd set out just for Robin. To Robin's tired mind, this seemed strange, but it was also a little touching. Chrom had set up this private feast, just for him? "You look like you've been wearing yourself ragged," Chrom continued, and sat down. 

Robin stared down at him for a moment, eyes narrowed. There was something... off about this, but he couldn't tell through the haze in his mind exactly what that was. 

"Thanks," Robin said. "I... didn't expect anything like this." He chose his words carefully - an unfortunate side-effect of sleep-deprivation was the tendency to let thoughts out uncensored. 

"Like what?" 

"Like... you caring about me." He wanted to kick himself as soon as the words came out. To cover up, he took his seat and momentarily closed his eyes. Streaks of red haze coated the back of his eyelids. 

"Of course I care," Chrom said. "You're our tactician, and we need you at your best." When Robin opened his eyes, Chrom was leaning in, studying him. 

Robin's heartbeat increased, and he gave an awkward smile that felt so off. "Right," Robin said, not really hearing what Chrom said, with his heartbeat thudding in his ears. He leaned away, nervous at the taller man's proximity, and Chrom immediately backed off, reaching instead for the first plate of food. 

Robin slowly ate his way through the food Chrom had brought, surprising himself with his own appetite. Chrom sat quietly, waiting for Robin to start the conversation, but Robin was afraid of saying anything else that he might regret. 

Eventually, though, the heavy silence got the better of him. "I... did you have a chance to look over the maps I left you?" 

Chrom narrowed his eyes. "We went over those already, this afternoon."

"Ah, I thought I had put together more..." he trailed off, and put his glass of water down. _Gods, I can't even do this right._  

"It's all right," Chrom said, and put his hand on Robin's forearm. Robin felt the casual contact zing up his arm, and he stared down at Chrom's hand. "I know you haven't been sleeping. How long has it been?" 

Robin lowered his eyes, his head heavy. "Four days," he muttered. 

"Robin, you can't do this," Chrom said softly, his thumb tracing circles on Robin's arm. It was hard to focus on what Chrom was saying when he was touching him like that.

With his other hand, Chrom reached down beneath the table and brought out a small vial. He pressed it into Robin's hand, and Robin studied it for a moment. "We need you rested and alert. This is a sleeping draught - it should help you relax." 

"I..." Robin closed his eyes and fought against the urge to shake off Chrom's hand. 

"What's wrong, Robin? You can talk to me." 

"I can't." He shook his head with frustration. 

"You can't what?" Chrom asked. "Talk to me?"

"I can't... sleep. I don't get any restful sleep, anyway." 

"Why not?" 

It took all of Robin's diminished mental strength to pull his eyes away from Chrom's hand, which was still rubbing gently against the sensitive skin at his wrist. The prince's bright blue eyes were narrowed slightly, and his mouth was slightly pursed, waiting for Robin's answer. 

"Nightmares." It felt strange to have it out in the open, even if it was only with Chrom. He exhaled shakily and frowned.

"I get them too," Chrom said. "This sleeping draught will help with that." 

Robin shook his head. "Not like mine. They... don't fade when I'm awake." 

"Won't you try it, for me?" Chrom asked. 

Heat rose in Robin's face and he closed his eyes. "I can't, I can't..." He felt his body shuddering, and brought his hands up to his temples.

Distantly he wondered if this was it - he was having a breakdown and Chrom would kick him out in disgrace. Maybe this would help with the nightmares. He couldn’t kill them if he wasn’t here, right?

Chrom wrapped his arms around Robin, and Robin froze. His eyes flew open. "W-what are you doing?" he squawked.

"I'm supporting you." 

_Gods._ Robin felt pulled in different directions. Part of him wanted to push Chrom away. Chrom didn't - couldn't - know what he was doing to Robin, how badly Robin wanted this.

"Chrom... let go." 

Chrom immediately dropped his arms, and Robin felt cold. He peeked up at Chrom from beneath lowered lashes and saw that the taller man was blushing. What did he have to be embarrassed about? He wasn't the one that was avoiding sleep and nightmares.

"I don't like seeing you hurt like this," Chrom said. "Please, Robin, take the draught, just to try it." 

"I... fine." Robin knew it wouldn't help, but with Chrom practically begging him to take it, he couldn't say no. He could always just pretend he took it.

With relief, Chrom smiled. He honestly thought the draught would help. After a few minutes of more talking, that Robin barely heard, Chrom took his leave. Robin was left alone in his tent. It felt completely empty and lonely in there, but after a few minutes of staring off into nothingness, Robin felt Tharja’s comforting presence hovering outside. 

Robin looked at the vial Chrom had handed him, then shook his head and set it down. He paced his tent for a few minutes, and then returned to the vial. He opened it, sniffed it, and then put it to his lips. 

He issued a prayer to Naga that it would help, and then tilted it back. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Robin stabbed at Chrom with his Thoron magic again.  _"Promise me you'll escape from this place."_   Chrom’s eyes widened, and then rolled back in his head. He collapsed before Robin, and Robin could only laugh at the horrific scene, feeling something in his head splintering in two.

"I can't," he moaned. "I can't escape... Chrom." 

Tharja was next, although she tried to plead with him. Her dark eyes and her dark magic both stung him as he slashed through her, but when she fell before him, he felt happiness. 

"Gods, no," he moaned, and then another laugh burst from his throat. "Yes, death to all who stand against me." He leapt from Tharja’s staring corpse, eyes scanning across the fighters around him, and then found his next target.

He raced across the marble floor, drawn to the blonde-haired young woman. He caught her arm and spun her toward him, and her staff came up. _“Robin, please, no! This isn’t you!”_  Lissa... so defenseless. Her screams were music to his ears, usually he woke up by now, was he doomed to kill everyone tonight? 

Robin was barely aware that he was trying to wake up, but something was holding him to the edge. 

Trapped. He was trapped in the nightmare. 

_"Promise me you'll escape from this place."_ Chrom’s last words echoed around Robin’s head.

He thrashed and pulled his way out of the nightmares, barely aware of his own low moans. He launched out of the bed and plunged through the opening of his tent, into the still night. He fell to his hands and knees and vomited, barely able to keep himself upright. He felt cool hands at his forehead. Someone gripped his arm, pulled him up before he fell all the way to the ground, into his own vomit. 

He opened heavy eyes and the camp spun around him. With a low moan, he shut his eyes again. The spinning caused his stomach to heave again until every last bit of whatever was in his stomach had been evacuated. It burned his throat and mouth and nose, and he shook. 

Finally, he knelt quietly, those strong hands on his arms, holding him upright. He exhaled shakily, feeling drained.

"Robin?" It was Lissa. He squinted, hardly believing that she was alive. She stood before him, her staff clutched in one hand, the other wiping sleep from her eyes. 

"You're not dead," he whispered, looking up at her. 

Her eyes widened, and she looked up at the person holding Robin partially upright. "What happened, Chrom?" 

Chrom - he was all right? Robin swung his head to the side and saw his deep blue eyes, frowning with worry. Relief ran through him, and he sagged.

“I gave him a sleeping draught, but I don’t think it helped.” Chrom’s hand rubbed along Robin’s back soothingly. “I’m sorry, Robin.”

"A sleeping draught, for what?" Lissa asked, concerned. 

"Don't-" Robin said, at the same time Chrom said, "Nightmares." 

Robin squeezed his eyes shut tighter, feeling heat flush up the back of his neck. He opened his big mouth in a moment of weakness, of vulnerability, and soon everyone would know. 

"Don't worry, Robin. I won't tell anyone," Lissa said, and leaned in. "I get them too, sometimes. Come on, let's get you back in your tent." 

He nodded, and Chrom and Lissa gently helped him back inside his tent. At least no one else had seen him. He sat shivering on the bed between the siblings, and looked at his shaking hands. 

Lissa was set up in the tent beside him, and she had probably just heard him retching. He prayed she hadn’t heard him cry out, and another flush rushed up his neck. He ruffled his white hair and sighed.

"It looks like you expelled most of that sleeping draught,” Lissa said, patting his shoulder. “How are you feeling now?”

“Like hell,” he gritted, his knee bouncing.

“I’m sorry, Robin,” Chrom apologized again, sounding miserable. Chrom's hand continued to rub in lazy circles on Robin's back. “I hoped it would help.”

Robin shrugged. “So did I. I guess the nightmares were stronger.”

“The nightmares are gone now, so you can sleep," Lissa said logically. 

Robin shook his head, biting down a bitter laugh. "They're never gone. I can’t go back to sleep right now." 

"So you're just going to stay awake forever?" Chrom's voice had a hint of frustration in it.

Robin rubbed at his face. "Gods, I don't know." 

The siblings were silent for a few moments, and Robin finally peeked at Chrom. The prince was frowning at Robin, and thinking hard about something.

"I'll take it from here, Lissa," Chrom said gently. "Go back to sleep." 

"Okay," she said reluctantly. Her blue eyes flashed once more toward Robin, and then Robin heard the flap of his tent and retreating footsteps. 

Chrom sighed.

Robin looked up at Chrom, sitting on his bed beside him, one arm around his shoulder. When he closed his eyes, he saw Chrom staggering back, the Thoron bolt deep in his chest. Tears gathered hot in his eyes, and he ducked away from Chrom’s compassionate gaze, swiping angrily at his wet cheeks. Bad enough Chrom felt like he had to babysit him now…

“I- I think I’ve got something in my eye,” Robin said, moved to rise from the bed. He had to step away for a moment and get his tears under control. It would all be better if he could just _think_ straight… Chrom's arm tightened around him, and the larger man held him to his side. 

"Don't get up, just sit here a minute." Chrom pulled gently on Robin's head, resting it on his bare shoulder. He was uttering soft soothing noises now, but Robin had stopped listening at the touch of all that skin.

Bare shoulder… Robin realized belatedly that Chrom was naked from the waist up. How had he not noticed before? Robin tensed at the touch, but after a few moments, nothing else happened, and he gradually relaxed. Chrom wasn’t being condemning, or critical. If he noticed that Robin was crying, he gave no indication.

It was a strange sensation, feeling Chrom's bare skin against his head, but he allowed himself the brief enjoyment. He'd touched Chrom in the past of course, but never like this. Most of the time it was his arm, pulling him this way or that in the course of battle. 

Hesitantly, Robin wrapped his arm around Chrom's chest. Chrom was offering comfort in this instant. He didn't have to know how pleasing it was for Robin to touch him like this. It might have been wrong of Robin, to take this from Chrom unknowing, but the nightmares tonight had been Chrom's fault. That’s what he told himself, anyway.

After a few minutes of silence, during which Robin’s tears faded, Chrom spoke. "This is what... Emmeryn used to do for me, when we were little and I would wake up in the middle of the night."

Chrom's voice was soft, but when he mentioned Emmeryn, Robin winced. At least he didn't see her death at night, too. Maybe because it had already happened.

Chrom continued, in that same gentle tone, "She would just hold me when I wanted to run or scream or cry, until I would fall asleep. She used to say that sometimes, you just need someone who understands to hold you."

Robin made a soft noise deep in his throat to acknowledge what Chrom said, but he didn't know what response would be appropriate. In that instant, it was enough that Chrom knew about the nightmares and was trying to help. Even though Robin hadn't wanted anyone else to know at first, now it felt, somehow, better.

They sat there for a few more minutes, and Robin felt his heartbeat slow. Chrom's heady scent surrounded him, and he felt that bone-aching exhaustion creeping in. His eyelids fluttered closed and he pressed his head a little higher against Chrom's upper chest, resting his forehead against that warm swathe of neck.

Chrom shifted and Robin's eyes flew open. The taller man slid back along the bed, still holding on to Robin with a strong arm around the smaller man's shoulder. The prince set his head on Robin’s pillow, and then lay still. His chest rose and fell beneath Robin’s cheek.

After a few seconds, Robin felt his body relaxing even further against Chrom. The tension from the nightmare faded as he felt the steady rise and fall of Chrom's breath.

Idly, he wondered if there was something to what Chrom was suggesting. The nightmare felt distant already, although Robin knew from experience that thinking about it would bring every second back as if he were living it again. He shifted his head against Chrom’s shoulder and wrapped his hand around Chrom’s torso, the rest of the world and all his troubles fading away.

He wasn't going to fall back asleep. He was just relaxing. It was relaxing. It was....

~*~

When Robin awoke, the first thing he realized was that he had actually slept the night.

_I don’t feel… tired._

It was such a strange sensation. Tears of relief filled his eyes as he slitted them open, seeing the sunlight shining on the thin fabric walls of his tent. He cuddled up against the warm body beside him, feeling the arm around his shoulders tighten and fingers twine in his hair as he moved closer. He pressed the long line of his body against Chrom. 

His eyes snapped open, and he leapt out of the bed. He was cuddling... with Chrom. Who had stayed the night in his bed. His face felt like it was on fire, and he belatedly realized that he had a raging erection in his pants. He turned from the bed and quickly rearranged himself so that it wasn't so obvious, and breathed out. 

"Robin? Another nightmare?" 

He stood up straighter, and raggedly pulled himself together. When he turned back to his bed, Chrom was leaning on one elbow, still naked from the waist up. His hair fell in his eyes, a strange cowlick of hair standing straight up at the back of his head. Robin felt his breath catch, and a strange, genuine smile rushed across his face.

"No, no more nightmares after falling back to sleep." He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "I slept the night." Disbelief hung heavy in his voice, as he ducked his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you, by the way." 

Chrom gave him a smile that made Robin want to melt up against that smooth skin. The smile quickly faded, and Chrom’s eyes grew serious.

"Robin, I'm... sorry about last night, truly. I thought the sleeping draught was going to help, but instead I think I trapped you. Last night, when you were having the nightmare, I heard you speaking – you said 'I can't escape' a few times."

Robin grimaced. “Was I talking… a lot?”

Chrom quickly soothed, “You were quiet enough. I don’t think anyone else heard.”

“How did you hear it, then?”

Chrom rubbed at the back of his head. “I – ah, I wanted to make sure you were sleeping, and not just pretending.”

A laugh burst out of Robin’s mouth. “You were keeping Tharja company?”

“Tharja? Oh… she’s still stalking you?” His eyes widened. “I didn’t know she was out there.”

“She’s good at hiding.” Robin sighed. “We should get ready. Do you have a… shirt with you? It would look strange for you to be seen leaving my tent without a shirt.”

Chrom looked down, and pink dusted across his cheeks. “I didn’t bring one… This is how I usually sleep.”

“Ah.” Robin rose and obtained a white button-down from one of his spare packs. It was much too large for Robin, but it might fit Chrom. He thought about what it would feel like to help Chrom put the shirt on, and then had to turn away or he was going to act on that thought. Robin closed his eyes and brought his hands up to his face. He could still smell Chrom on his body, and in the morning light, what had happened between them seemed... less okay.

He reached for his own clothing and focused instead on the strange feeling of restfulness that hovered around him. It had been a long time since Robin had experienced this. The nightmares were pervasive and intrusive, and most of the time he couldn’t sleep after one of them.

An idea formed in his mind, and he had just the person to test his theory with. She was already in love with him so she would do it, and he felt no attraction to her.

He slipped the nightshirt off and shrugged into one of his sleeveless shirts.

“Well, I suppose it fits,” Chrom said with a laugh. He peered over his shoulder at Chrom, who was buttoning up the shirt. An expanse of his chest was still visible, golden against the slightly wrinkled white fabric.

Robin snorted. “You’ve got it inside-out, somehow.”

Chrom peered at the shirt and then shook his head. “Gods, you’d think I don’t dress myself.” He quickly undid the buttons and pulled the shirt off.

“Shall I get Frederick to assist you?” Robin asked, a smile quirking one side of his mouth.

Chrom laughed, and then looked up at Robin, a strange look on his face. “There he is, my sly, crafty tactician. He’s been gone for a while. I’m glad you seem much more yourself, today.”

Robin wasn’t certain what to say to that, so he turned to find his pants and belts. He couldn’t change with Chrom right behind him, so he rested his clothing and accessories on the table.

“Thank you, Chrom,” he said, running his hand along one of the leather belts. “I haven’t had that much uninterrupted sleep… in weeks.”

When Chrom didn’t respond, Robin looked up at him.

He was smiling. “Good, I’m glad I was able to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place in Chon’sin, but for this story I’m leaving out all of the second generation (including Lucina). Chrom has not taken anyone as a spouse yet. 
> 
> I think the next Chapter will be up in about a week. I've got it pretty well fleshed out, but it just needs some tweaking. I now think this will be in five or six parts. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought! Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The army had established the most efficient way to move in the almost month since they had gotten here, so by the time Robin exited his tent, the rest of the army was ready. No one had come to bother him, which was surprising in and of itself. Robin had a sneaking suspicion that Chrom had spoken to someone to make it so.

Robin had his tent organized to minimize set up and take down time, so even though he was one of the last to pack up, he was still ready in time. Stahl helped him, as usual, and that allowed him to go get some breakfast before they moved out.

He sat near the fire where breakfast was being tended by Maribelle, and watched the camp around him with bright, fresh eyes. When Lissa passed by, she eyed him and then returned the easy smile he gave her. It was almost easy to forget about the nightmares, now.

But when they ended their march after dark and set up camp again, the fear came rushing back. Would he be able to avoid the nightmares tonight? He had rather enjoyed the awareness he’d experienced today, and wanted to continue it. Only when he was this alert did he really realize how sluggish he had been before. It was depressing, and dangerous. They were quickly approaching the main force of the Valmese army, and Robin needed to be this alert when they took on Excellus and Walhart’s forces, eventually.

He sat in his tent that night after running through the newest scenarios and troop locations, staring at the oil lantern flickering on the desk. His mind wandered to Chrom, wondering what the prince was doing. _Probably sleeping_ , he thought with a tinge of envy. The thought of going to sleep and plunging back into the nightmares made it difficult to even attempt to lie down. But it was well after midnight. He had to try _something_.

He stood up, rubbing at his pale hair, and then poked his head out of his tent. “Tharja?” he called quietly.

“I’m here, Robin,” she said, appearing out of the darkness behind him momentarily.

“Could you come in here?”

She followed him into the tent, studying him with those dark eyes. “You look a lot better today. I take it the prince was helpful?”

Robin blushed, and hoped the faint lighting would hide it. “He was. I was hoping to test a theory… Would you… sleep in the same bed with me?”

“Sleep with you, you mean?”

He shot her a glare. “Don’t get any funny ideas. I... the nightmares...”

Her dark eyes glittered in the candlelight, and a smile quirked one side of her mouth. “Ah, I see… Yes, I’ll sleep beside you.”

It was more awkward than he had expected. He knew Tharja was attractive but he had no desire for her sultry curves. They lay side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and Robin stared up at the darkened tent for a few minutes, his fingers plucking at the blanket.

Tharja must have sensed his restlessness, for she turned, and leaned over him. Her hair tickled his ear, and he ducked away. “Why don’t we try lying back to front?”

He frowned, and she gave a sigh. He could barely see the shine of her eyes reflecting the dim light from the shuttered lantern.

“Like this,” she said, and gripped his shoulder. She turned his body away from her, so that her front was pressed against his back.

“O-okay,” he said, wishing he’d never suggested this. A very small part of him wanted to go find Chrom and ask him to help. Maybe it was his presence that Robin needed… He pushed that voice very firmly down, and then exhaled. The prince had better things to do than worry about his tactician, and inviting the man into his tent again could have unfortunate repercussions.

Tharja threw an arm over his waist, and nuzzled her nose into the back of his neck. He froze, and then slowly forced himself to relax. This was all right. He closed his eyes.

Somehow, even with Tharja’s soft breath tickling the fine hairs at his nape, Robin found his way into sleep. Maybe it was Tharja’s lady-like snores that soothed him into it.

The nightmares found him before morning.

It was Frederick, this time. _“I knew I couldn’t trust you_ ,” the knight said, bringing his lance up toward Robin. Robin wanted to cringe back from the hatred in the knight’s normally calm, reserved tone, but his body moved forward, toward him. As Robin slashed at him with his Thoron magic, the lance stabbed into Robin’s shoulder, and the force of it threw him out of the dream-world.

 _“You are mine,_ ” he heard echoing in his head, and pain lanced between his temples.

He fell to the ground, pulling the blankets with him. He gasped, clutching at his head.

“Robin. Robin!” Tharja hissed. She rose, and unshuttered the lantern, then brought it down to the floor beside him. She crouched beside him, and gently helped him sit upright.

He squinted up at her. Tharja’s normally calm eyes were wide with surprise.

He shivered, despite the sweat clinging to his forehead. Tharja pulled up the blankets and gently wrapped them around him, and he drew in deep breaths. His eyes swam with unshed tears, from the headache that felt like an iron bar was being shoved through his skull.

Robin drew in big gulping breaths and shifted his arm, and then his shoulder throbbed again. The pain was deep. It was the same spot where Frederick had stabbed him, in the dream. How had he gotten hurt by the nightmare?

“Gods, Robin,” she whispered, reaching out a hand toward his shoulder. “You’re bleeding.”

He looked down in surprise to his shoulder. He raised his hand, and realized with a jolt that there was blood under his fingernails.

He felt even colder. He had managed to mutilate himself through the nightmare.

“Oh gods,” he whispered, staring at his fingers like they didn’t belong to him. How had that happened? Was it Tharja’s presence? Or were the nightmares… progressing? He drew in a quick breath, and then another.

“Hush, Robin, it’s all right,” Tharja said. She rested her hand tenderly on his sweaty brow, smoothing the cold wet strands from his forehead. “It’s all right, it was just a nightmare.”

Gradually with her hands stroking him, he got the shivering and the panic under control. He was really glad that Chrom wasn’t here to see him… like this. He thought last night was embarrassing, but couldn’t imagine the look on Chrom’s face at seeing this. He heaved a shuddering sigh, and relaxed against Tharja, drained and hurting.

“We should have Lissa look at this,” Tharja said, moving to stand.

“No, I can’t… it’s all right.” He reached out and pulled on her hand, knowing that she craved his touch. It was a sneaky thing to do, but he was desperate. “I don’t want anyone to see this. Please, Tharja, help me.”

She looked at him, and Robin was banking on the fact that she didn’t want to go against him, in anything. He could have asked her to stop stalking him, and he knew she would have, but he didn’t. Truthfully, he liked that someone was looking out for him. He didn’t want to push her away, either – he understood all too well how it felt when the person you loved showed you some attention.

“Okay. You must have some bandages in here, right?” She helped him sit on the cot, and Robin breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently he hadn’t cried out loud enough in his nightmare to wake any of his neighbors. A small blessing, but he would take it.

Tharja helped him out of his night shirt, which was coated in blood on the right side. As she bandaged up his wound, which had fallen right beneath where his collarbone met his arm, she said, “I might be able to work a spell that will help with your nightmares, but you have to tell me what the root cause is. Do you know?”

He shrugged and then winced. His heart beat a little faster as he thought about the nightmares. He felt comfortable telling Tharja about it because she knew nearly everything about him, anyway. And she never told anyone anything about him that wasn’t common knowledge.

“It started – ouch! – with the first nightmare. It’s just me and Chrom - ah - and I, in a battle with a wizard. We win, and then I turn to him and stab him. Hnngh,” he grunted, as she wrapped the gauze tight around his shoulder. “That one comes back all the time. But I don’t know what the root of it is.”

She frowned, and then reached to loop the gauze around his chest. “This would heal better if you kept your arm immobile.” Her dark eyes flicked up to him. “I know you won’t though.”

He looked away at that. Tharja was right. He should just have Lissa heal it, but the questions she would ask wouldn’t be worth it. She’d probably tell Chrom too, and then he’d worry. No, this was the right thing to do. He had to get a handle on the nightmares, though.

“It’s unfortunate that you don’t have all your memories. There must be something in your past that is causing that one in particular to repeat.” Tharja tucked the end of the gauze in on itself, and sat back, studying her handiwork. “How is that?”

He flexed, and winced as his body protested. “I won’t bleed out.”

“I’m sorry my presence didn’t help,” Tharja said, and then grinned mischievously. “Should I go get the prince?”

Robin felt heat rising in his cheeks. “You can stay… if you want. I might still experience the nightmares, but if you’re here with me… maybe you can stop me from doing this again.” He motioned to the bandaged wound.

She frowned. “Do you want me to stay?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I’ll stay.” They curled up again in the bed, and it didn’t feel as awkward to have her warm weight behind him. Robin couldn’t sleep, though, and just lay there listening to her snores until the sun rose.

When she awoke and saw his open eyes, she frowned, but didn’t have to say anything.

*

The march the next day was cold and rainy, and Robin felt water-logged and miserable at the end of it. Robin managed to keep everyone around him from finding out that he was injured, and if he didn’t smile much, they all just assumed it was the weather wearing on him.

After referring to the maps and the aerial scouts’ reports, Robin determined they were going to have a battle tomorrow. The local garrison was right in their path, and going around would cost them more of their dangerously low food supplies. Hunting took time that Robin wasn’t willing to spend – they had to move quickly through Valm, to keep from being detected.

They would have to take the garrison’s castle, and pilfer their food supplies.

Robin sat in front of the smoking fire that night, alone (except for Tharja’s comforting presence behind him somewhere). He picked bits of grass beneath his legs and tossed them into the fire. He kept his hood close around his face, and listened to the rain drizzle around him in the stillness of the camp. It was almost peaceful, the rain, although he would still rather have clear skies.

He put a hand to his injury and pressed gently against it, resisting the urge to scratch at it. His shoulder ached and throbbed, despite the medicine he’d sneaked from the supply room. The battle tomorrow weighed heavy on his mind. All his plans were made and set, but he still felt as if there were something wrong.

He heard a faint splash to his right, and quickly withdrew his hand from his shoulder, inside his cloak. Chrom was walking toward him. His hair was stuck to his face thanks to the rain, and Robin wanted to brush it out of his eyes. Chrom looked like Robin felt – there were bags under his eyes, and his walk even seemed tired.

“Hi, Robin,” Chrom said, and his hand landed hard on Robin’s wounded shoulder.

“Ah,” Robin winced under Chrom’s hand, and ducked away. He cursed the reaction – Chrom was the last person he wanted to find out.

Immediately, Chrom was concerned. “What’s the matter? Are you hurt, Robin?”

“It’s nothing,” Robin said, waving him off. His pulse was racing at his neck, and apparently Chrom saw straight through his lie.

“Are you injured?” Chrom reached for the strings tying Robin’s cloak at his neck, and tugged. He was… undressing him. Robin’s mind reeled at the thought, but he let Chrom do it.

The prince gently pulled the cloak back and it pooled at his wrist. Chrom then shifted the half-jacket from Robin’s shoulder as well. He narrowed his eyes as the bandage appeared, mostly hidden by the sleeveless shirt. Chrom ran a finger beneath the shirt, gapping it from Robin’s body, studying the size of the wound.

Robin watched Chrom, seeing his mouth tighten.

“You didn’t get that wound in the last battle… Did something happen while you were sparring?”

Robin winced. He could lie, but it didn’t feel right. Chrom wasn’t slow, much as some of the Shepherds liked to joke about him. Beneath that trusting, friendly visage was a strong-willed, caring individual, and somehow Chrom was sneaking in under Robin’s guard, making it difficult for Robin to lie.

Robin looked down at his gloved hands and said, “I was sleeping with Tharja and I… had another nightmare.”

Chrom’s big blue eyes narrowed, and he released Robin’s shirt. “Sleeping with… Tharja?”

“Not sex!” Robin said, throwing his hands up. “Definitely not sex. Just… sleeping. I was trying something out.” He didn’t know exactly why he had to defend so vehemently against the thought of him and Tharja… but he couldn’t have Chrom thinking they were together.

“It doesn’t sound like it worked,” Chrom said. “What happened?”

Robin winced. He really didn’t want to admit it aloud, and especially not to Chrom. “I did it to myself.”

“What?” Chrom took the seat on the log beside Robin, and grabbed Robin’s face in his hands. He forced Robin to stare into Chrom’s wide, angry eyes, and Robin stared back. Part of him liked the feeling of Chrom’s gloved hands against his skin, and wished they were bare.

But Robin shoved Chrom’s hands from his face, gritting his teeth, and then said, “I didn’t do it purposefully. It happened during the nightmare.”

“Robin…” Robin shuddered to hear his name uttered from Chrom’s mouth, shakily like that. Robin clenched one of his hands into a fist and stared down at it. He could feel Chrom’s eyes staring at the bandage, and it made the skin on his neck flush. “Does this happen often?”

Robin shook his head. “It’s only happened the once… so far.”

“So… sleeping beside Tharja didn’t get rid of your nightmares, but sleeping with me… did?”

Robin swallowed. Did Chrom even hear the words coming out of his mouth sometimes?

“Let’s try this again.” Chrom reached out and took Robin’s hand, then hauled him to his feet.

Faster than he thought possible, Chrom was dragging him along. His hand was warm through the glove, even though it was wet, and Robin could barely keep from squeezing Chrom’s hand tighter. His head swam as exhaustion sloshed around in his brain. Was Chrom saying… he wanted to sleep with Robin again? This was how rumors were started. If Robin was caught sleeping with Tharja, that would be understood. The girl was madly in love with him already. But for Chrom, the unmarried prince and the most eligible bachelor in all of Ylisse, those rumors might destroy him.

Still, Robin let Chrom lead him back to his tent. They spent lots of time together in Robin’s tent, awake and planning. No one would think anything of that, and maybe he could convince Chrom to leave.

Chrom was acting very agitated, and Robin wondered how much of that was because he had just revealed that he had harmed himself because of the nightmares. Was Chrom worried about his sanity, as tactician? Unpleasant thoughts swirled in Robin’s stomach as Chrom led him through camp, still gripping his hand.

Chrom pushed into Robin’s tent purposefully, and then maneuvered Robin to sit on the cot. Chrom sat down beside him, still holding Robin’s hand. Chrom’s knee shook up and down as he sat beside Robin.

Robin’s brain seemed to snap back into place when they were both seated on his cot. He had to make Chrom leave. He couldn’t be in here – Robin could find another way to get the sleep he needed, without Chrom’s assistance.

“Chrom…” Robin cleared his throat and extricated his hand from the prince’s. "It's nice that you want to help me with my problems but... You can't stay in here again."

Chrom cocked his head at Robin and almost pouted. Robin’s heart beat faster at the look on the prince’s face. "Why not? Didn't it help?"

"It did, but…" Robin shifted. Was he really going to make him spell it out? "This is how rumors are born, Chrom. If you stay in here with me, people might get the wrong impression. You can't sleep in my cot with me, or I might do something I will regret later."

As soon as the words left Robin’s mouth, his eyes widened. Shock raced up his spine. He opened his mouth to recant the statement, to say something comical and set his words in a different light, but Chrom was already reacting to them.

"Like what?" Chrom moved closer, a funny look in his eye. "Like... this?" He leaned in and kissed Robin. It felt like something had just caught on fire in Robin's head. All thoughts slowed and then stopped, and he felt as if all his being was focused into the touch of Chrom’s lips against his own. They were soft, and a little chapped.

He moaned wantonly into Chrom's mouth, which seemed to spur the prince on further. He deepened the kiss and slipped his tongue into Robin's mouth. Robin slipped his own tongue out to meet Chrom’s, and his eyelids fluttered closed.

Then Chrom put his hands around Robin’s head, and pulled him closer. Robin’s fingers went to the soft, wet hair at the back of Chrom’s neck, enjoying the silkiness there for a moment.

The addition of his hands seemed to snap Robin’s mind into high gear again. Was Chrom... really kissing him? No, this was wrong. This was wrong on so many levels. Chrom was the prince, the leader of his country. He couldn't be doing this… with Robin. 

Robin pushed against Chrom’s chest, and he broke from that wonderful kiss. 

“No,” he said, panting. “Don’t do this, Chrom.”

“Why not?” There was hurt in the prince’s voice.

Robin dredged up all the coldness he could muster. “We can’t do this. It’s… wrong.”

“Wrong?”

Robin shifted, and looked up at Chrom. “Get out.”

Chrom’s mouth parted, and he stared at Robin. His eyes were wide, disbelieving, and then he blushed. “Robin… I… don’t understand.”

“Just… get out. Please.” Robin lay down on his cot, facing the wall, and shut his eyes so Chrom couldn’t see the tears gathering there.

The cot shifted after a moment, and the tent flap sighed. Robin sneaked a look back, and exhaled to see that he was alone in his tent. He pressed his fingers to his mouth, running his fingertips along the tender pink skin where Chrom’s lips had devoured him.

Less than a minute later, Tharja entered the tent. “Robin?” she said quietly. “Why did you send him away?”

He couldn’t answer, just pressed his fingers tight against his mouth. His silent sobs wracked his body, and eventually Tharja got into the bed behind him, and smoothed her hand against his hair.

Robin did not sleep one second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah Robin! This one was a little bittersweet, but a lot of fun to edit. (And yes, Chrom was going to get someone to heal Robin, but then got distracted.)
> 
> Here's an image that really inspired that last little bit: http://jisonshin.tumblr.com/post/108187753838 (This artist's Robin is EXACTLY how I see him in my mind, it's perfect!)
> 
> I'm guessing it'll be a couple of weeks before the next chapter is up. Please let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has strong images of violence, the descriptions are kind of graphic.

Chapter 4

In the morning light, things were clearer. Robin and Chrom… just couldn’t be together.

All of the relationships he’d heard of were between a man and a woman. There were a few developing relationships between the Shepherds, in fact. It wasn’t talked about around camp, of course, but he overheard things… especially when he wasn’t sleeping. The camp was quiet at night, and it was hard to keep secrets within thin fabric tents.

Thinking of those noises he sometimes heard at night made him recall the soft taste of Chrom’s lips. He clenched his fists at his side and forced the memory away. It was a good thing no one in camp could read his mind, because he was certain they would all be appalled.

Tharja was still trying to take care of him, and he let her. He walked into the dining tent in a dazed fog, Tharja close at hand.

They sat together at the table in the corner, hovering over steaming cups of coffee. He ran through the plans for the imminent battle in his head, and felt more himself. Just another battle, another march, another day invading Valm to protect Ylisse from a counter invasion. He breathed in the strong, bitter scent of black coffee, and mustered up a hollow smile.

He turned that faint smile on Tharja. “Thanks for helping me,” he said quietly.

She smiled back, and he felt something within him relax.

He continued, “We should get ready for this battle. I’m sure you have spells to prepare, right?”

Her own smile increased, and she nodded. “I’m surprised you know about that.”

“I have to know how quickly everyone can be ready,” he said with a shrug. “I’m the tactician, remember?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. “All right, Robin.” She reached over to his hand and gripped it, then stood up.

Robin sighed when she was gone.

Shortly after Tharja left, Lissa staggered into the tent, scrubbing at her eyes. She accepted a cup of the steaming liquid before slumping heavily onto the bench beside him.

“Morning,” she said, and they sat and sipped their coffee together for a minute. Lissa blew on her cup, cooling it off. “When you’re done here, I’ve got instructions from Chrom to look at a wound you’ve got on your shoulder.”

“Okay.” Robin bit back a grimace. He should have expected something like this from Chrom, although part of him wished that Chrom would just leave him alone.

No, that wasn’t quite true. There was no part of him that wanted Chrom to leave him alone – he hungered for the man. Rather, Robin felt it was what he should do. He should push him away. It was for the best.

And then the soft, chapped memory of the kiss flooded his brain. His hand shook and he spilled coffee on himself and the table. He hissed, and leapt up, reaching for a towel to clean up the mess.

_Good gods_ , he thought, fighting a blush at his clumsiness. _You’d think I was Sumia, fawning over him_ … Lissa frowned as she helped Robin clean up, but it was apparent her mind was on other things.

“Are we still taking on that garrison today?” she asked.

Robin pounced on the subject, glad to have something else to think about. “Yes. It’s a defensive position, and we are running low on supplies.”

Lissa sighed. “I wish this war would hurry up and be over, already.”

Robin didn’t want it to be over. What use was a war tactician, in times of peace? He wouldn’t be able to spend time with –

He stopped that thought, and covered his eyes with one hand. _Maybe it would be better if I didn’t see him as much_.

“Robin, are you okay?” Lissa asked, leaning in.

_Your brother kissed me… what do you think?_

He looked up, and gave that faint smile again. “I just had a rough night. Come on, let’s get this healing over with.”

She sucked down the rest of her coffee and led the way, but stopped halfway through the exit. “Oh, Chrom! Sorry,” she said, and stepped back.

At the name, Robin froze. He wasn’t ready to see Chrom yet.

But there he was. He looked how Robin felt – sleepless and disheveled. Robin swallowed down that hard lump in his throat and felt suddenly faint.

“Good morning,” he somehow got out, and it sounded normal to his ears.

“Robin,” Chrom said, and Robin saw he was blushing.

Lissa frowned, looking between them.

“We’re just going to heal my shoulder,” Robin said, and caught at the flap. “Then I’ll be meeting with Frederick, if you want me.” He nearly choked on the words, but managed to get through to the end of the sentence without bursting into a nervous giggle. Maybe he should have attempted to sleep. He was obviously close to delirium.

But Chrom managed to salvage the awkwardness, somehow. “Good, thanks.” He gave a smile that seemed genuine, at least to Robin, and then turned away.

Lissa waited all of five seconds after exiting the tent before verbally jumping on Robin. “What was that?” she demanded.

Robin gave a little shrug. “We had an argument last night.”

“About what? That doesn’t sound like Chrom.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

She pursed her lips, but she didn’t press him further.

~*~

Robin peered across the battle during a brief respite, and nodded to himself. He absently scratched at the mostly-healed wound on his shoulder.

To the left, Tharja and Henry cast their dark spells. Beyond them, the Pegasus Knights hovered, waiting to sweep in when the archers had been dealt with. Frederick and Stahl were at the front line, utilizing long-range spears to attack from a distance.

Everyone was in position, and the siege on the garrison was going as planned.

His eyes drifted to his right and located that familiar head of blue hair. The tufts of Lissa’s ponytails appeared slightly behind Chrom, and he heard her shout as she cast her magic. They were coordinating well together, Robin thought. He usually paired with Chrom, but for his own sanity, he decided to hang back, to take less of an active role in the front line.

Cherche swept in above Robin, her wyvern’s roar startling him. The creature scattered the Valmese line of heavy infantry with its body.

Robin moved to join the right side, intending to catch up with Cherche. He dodged an arrow coming his way, and then sneaked another look at the brother-sister duo. Chrom was beset by two large Knights, and he spun back and forth between the two, Falchion a glowing flash in his hands. Lissa’s voice grew slightly frantic, and Robin found himself moving toward them before he was really aware of it.

He was still too late.

It happened nearly instantly, just as Robin looked away for a moment or two.

He heard Chrom cry out in pain. The sound ran through his body like lightning. His head whipped back toward Chrom, and his blood rushed in his ears as Chrom dropped Falchion and collapsed to the ground.

“Chrom!” Robin shouted, and reached for his Arcthunder tome. Beyond Chrom, Lissa raised her own tome. Thunder rolled out as the lightning launched from Robin’s fingers, skewering the first Knight. The second Knight ducked Lissa’s Elfire magic and raised his spear, but Robin struck at him as well, quicker than Lissa could.

The spear fell to the ground by Lissa’s feet, soon joined by the dying Valmese. She gasped and turned to Robin with wide eyes. She then spun to Chrom, who was barely kneeling, clutching at his arm. Chrom’s left forearm was bent at an unnatural angle from the elbow, and Robin winced.

Lissa quickly grabbed up her staff, and held it over Chrom’s arm. Robin turned away, his body shaking, and focused on the battlefield nearby. All it would take was one enemy seeing their leader injured, when Robin wasn’t watching. The thought of Chrom injured nearby set his legs quivering, and adrenaline coursed through his veins. 

Thoughts raced through his mind, streaky with self-doubt. This was his fault. He should have been there for Chrom, instead of avoiding him. It probably wouldn’t have happened if he had been by Chrom’s side. His stomach started hurting.

“It’s dislocated,” Lissa said tensely after a few moments, and caught Robin’s sleeve, pulling him around. “Can you help? We need to get it back in place…”

Robin swallowed, and looked down at Chrom, then wiped his forehead. He was no stranger to wounds and physical injury, but the thought of touching Chrom made him want to squirm.

He took another look around, and then crouched beside Lissa, laying his sword on the ground. He blocked out those blue eyes squinting at him in pain, even as he carefully leaned Chrom against his shoulder. _Just his arm_ , he thought to himself, and Lissa set one of his hands on Chrom’s bent forearm. He tried to ignore the way Chrom’s other hand wadded up in his cloak behind him. He twitched the fabric back from Chrom’s wrist, and focused from a purely medical perspective.

“Pull this side out and push up, gently, here,” she said, directing his hands, and readied her fingers on the displaced joint. Satisfied with his placement, she nodded to Robin. “Now, Robin.”

Robin gripped tight and shifted his hands, and Chrom’s head ended up buried against Robin’s neck as he struggled not to scream. Chrom bit down on the bunched up fabric of Robin’s hood, pinching a bit of his skin in the process, but Robin kept his eyes focused on Chrom’s arm, and the pressure he was exerting. He felt the joint jump back into place, and Chrom cried out, the sound muffled. Robin eased his hands away.

Chrom was shaking, and one of Robin’s hands snaked up to touch the back of Chrom’s head.

“I’m sorry, Chrom,” he said. “It’s all right now.” Chrom stayed pressed against Robin’s neck for a few seconds, and then released Robin’s cloak with a groan. Robin winced as the bite throbbed.

Lissa’s hands gently moved along Chrom’s arm, smoothing the healing magic into his distended ligaments.

“Did I… bite you?” Chrom whispered in Robin’s ear. Robin made a strangled noise and shifted more upright, nearly catching Chrom under the chin with his shoulder. He peered around at their surroundings to make sure they were still safe, pointedly not looking at the man he was holding.

“Robin, can I have your belt?” Lissa asked, setting her staff aside. He edged away from Chrom. His empty sheath fell to the ground as he slithered the belt through the loops. Lissa quickly adapted the leather into a makeshift sling, and tightened Chrom’s arm against his chest.

Chrom’s face was pale, but he held his right hand out toward Robin, who pulled him to his feet. Robin reached to the ground behind Chrom and hefted Falchion, then moved to sheathe it at Chrom’s hip.

His hands were shaking badly, and he only ended up cutting himself on the edge.

“Give it here,” Chrom said, and even with just one hand, his sheathing was smooth and straight.

“I’m sorry,” Robin blurted, and Chrom’s eyes flew up to meet his.

“For this?” Chrom shook his head, his eyes widening. “This was not your fault. Don’t apologize.”

Robin ground his teeth together. The battlefield was not the right place to beg forgiveness. He couldn't help but feel that twist in his stomach, looking at Chrom's arm. Why did Chrom have to kiss him? And why did he have to enjoy it?

Robin felt badly about the way he had left it last night, but didn’t know what to do or say to make it better. 

He turned back to the combat. It was easier to watch the death and destruction than it was to meet Chrom’s intense stare. Their left side had broken through the enemy lines, and was slowly making their way toward the garrison gate.

They would take the castle. Robin could already see the next moves, arranged like chess pieces in his mind.

But the victory felt hollow as he realized, if he had been just a few seconds later, Chrom and Lissa would both have been dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This awkwardness was fun to write. I don't claim to know much of anything about emergency procedures on the battlefield, so if I've got this all wrong let me know.  
> Next chapter will feature some of Chrom's POV, and more awkwardness. And more (meddling) Tharja. :) It'll probably be out in about a week.  
> Please let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After the battle, the Shepherds set up in the castle, and Gaius and Olivia prepared a feast with the replenished supplies. Robin tried to join in on the Shepherds’ good cheer– after all, they had beaten the garrison with minimal casualties on their side, thanks to Robin’s planning. But he found his eyes drawn to Chrom, seated diagonally across from him at the large table in the garrison’s dining hall. The prince seemed happy enough, despite the arm which was in a sling held tight to his side, but Robin still felt like he had failed him, somehow. He should have been there.

Chrom and Lissa joked with Frederick, who was blushing at their comments.

Finally Frederick scowled, and responded, “That would never have happened if-”

“You’re an idiot,” Tharja whispered in Robin’s ear, and he bit down a yelp. She sat down beside him, giggling low in her throat at his discomfort.

He frowned at the dark mage for a moment, but his displeasure quickly faded. Tharja had been very supportive and helpful, and he found that since they had slept together, he looked forward to her presence. It was almost as if he could be himself, around her.

He asked, “What have I done this time?”

Tharja refilled his glass with wine and poured herself a goblet. As she did so, she cast her dark eyes across the table. Robin took a sip of his wine and followed her gaze. Chrom was leaning over Lissa, exaggeratedly bumping her hair with his sling. Lissa turned to Chrom and giggled. 

Robin nearly spat out his wine when Tharja trailed a finger beneath the neck of his shirt, as if she knew there was a bite mark hidden just beneath his collar, and whispered, “He obviously likes you.”

“Tharja!” he hissed, and set the glass hastily down on the table. The wine sloshed over his fingertips. He caught her gauze-covered arm and brought her closer, and whispered, “You can’t just say those things. It’s bad for his reputation.”

“His reputation?” She narrowed her eyes at him, but met his low tone. “Robin, don’t be-”

“Please, Tharja,” he begged, releasing her arm.

She rolled her eyes, but acquiesced. “Fine.” She took another sip of her wine, and studied him over the rim.

He put his hand up to the aching bite mark and grimaced, and when he looked back across the table, Chrom was frowning at him. He removed his hand and met Chrom’s gaze as evenly as he could. His heartbeat rose.

“Robin,” Tharja asked, “Where will we be heading next?”

He broke the eye contact and gratefully turned to his dinner partner.

She kept refilling his wine glass, despite his protests, and he kept drinking it. Eventually she took pity on him and switched him to water, but it was too late. His head was adrift in a pleasant fog. He hadn’t been this drunk in a long time, and never while on campaign.

It had to be the wine coloring his thoughts, but at one point he contemplated what it would be like if he was attracted to Tharja. She was really helpful in her own way, and if she was a little quirky… well, so was he. He liked talking with her most of the time. And since Chrom was obviously off-limits…

He shook his head, and laughed.

Tharja stopped speaking, and tilted her head. “Something amusing?”

“I think I’ve had a little too much wine,” he said, aware that his voice might be just a bit too loud. “And that would be _your_ fault.” He waggled a finger at Tharja, who gave her little half smile.

“Don’t worry about it,” Vaike said from Robin’s other side. He spun, and nearly fell from the bench as his balance tilted. “You’re allowed to cut loose every once in a while,” the blonde man said, pounding Robin on the back with force. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink more than one glass.”

“Well,” Robin said, and his face felt hot all of a sudden. “This is still your fault,” he said, not very seriously, to Tharja.

She smiled. “I know.”

“Trying to get into his pants, are you?” Vaike asked from behind Robin, and Tharja’s smile faded instantly. Her eyes went dark and cold.

Robin buried his head in his hands, face burning even more at the lewd comment. The bench shifted from under Robin as Vaike and Tharja both rose at the same time, and he found himself lying on the ground.

“It’s of no concern to you if I am, or not,” Tharja snarled.

“Okay! Okay!” Vaike sounded terrified, and Robin stared up at the two of them from the ground and started laughing. He was definitely drunker than he’d been in a while, perhaps ever.

They both looked down at him, and somehow, his laughter diffused the situation. Vaike apologized sheepishly, and they both helped Robin to his feet.

Vaike guided Robin away from the table. Robin belatedly realized he’d lost track of Chrom between glasses, but a quick scan of the hall indicated that the prince was not in the vicinity. While he was searching for Chrom, he lost Tharja, but Vaike pulled him along. Somehow he ended up outside, seated before a firepit, sandwiched between Vaike and Sully. The conversation ebbed and flowed around him, and eventually the haze faded somewhat. He yawned, and in a break in the conversation, took his leave.

He walked slowly back to his tent, feeling calm, and slightly buzzed. Maybe this was what Tharja had planned. He looked up at the night sky, seeing the unfamiliar constellations darting in and out of the clouds. His maps and plans were waiting for him back in his tent, but he took his time getting there. He would just plan for an hour or two, and then take advantage of his relaxed state, and attempt to sleep.

He never made it into his tent – Chrom was standing guard outside of it.

Robin froze, those good feelings quickly dissipating.

“Ah, there you are,” Chrom said, the hint of a smile brushing his lips. Just when Robin had thought he’d rid himself of the phantom memory of the kiss, it came thundering back to him.

“Hi, Chrom,” he said, trying not to make it awkward. He couldn’t remember how they had possibly conversed before the kiss without it being uncomfortable. It was as if their prior interactions had ceased to exist, erased by that heated memory. He walked up to the other man, the sling on his arm reminding Robin that he had failed him earlier today.

“Lissa yelled at me this evening, after dinner, for whatever ‘argument’ you and I had. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to upset you.” Chrom gave Robin a somewhat bitter look, although Robin wasn’t certain if he was cross for being put on the spot, or because Robin lied to his sister. Robin didn’t think Chrom wanted Robin to tell Lissa they’d kissed. “We need to talk.”

Robin grimaced, but Chrom was right. They needed to talk… and maybe he could express his own apology over how badly he behaved during the battle. He wanted the awkwardness gone as much as Chrom seemed to.

Chrom led Robin up to his room. Robin had declined a room of his own inside the castle, but Chrom and Lissa, and several others, had been assigned some. Robin shifted from foot to foot as Chrom closed the door behind them.

“First things first,” Chrom said, taking a couple of steps toward Robin. “I saw you wincing several times tonight. Is it… because I bit you?”

Robin nodded, and stretched his collar down. He’d taken a look at it before dinner, and the bite was bruised already. Chrom drew in a breath, and raised his fingers to it.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and raised somber blue eyes to Robin. Robin was aware of how close they stood, how Chrom’s head tilted slightly to the side… “I’m sorry I bit you, and I’m sorry I… kissed you.” Those blue eyes looked down and his fingers left Robin’s tender skin. “I shouldn’t have been so forward.”

Robin’s mouth gaped open, and he snapped it shut. “No, it was okay–” Chrom looked sharply at him, and he hastily backpedaled. “I mean, you shouldn’t have, but I… Let’s just forget about it, all right? I don’t want it to be awkward between us anymore.”

“Okay,” Chrom agreed. “We can forget about it. So, we’re good?”

“Well,” Robin said, and then pointed to Chrom’s arm. “I owe you an apology as well, for-”

“For what?” Chrom crinkled his nose. “Please, don’t say you’re sorry you weren’t there to protect me. These things happen. We are at war. People get hurt all the time.”

“It _was_ my fault!” Robin hissed, putting his hands out in front of him. “If I hadn’t been avoiding you-”

“It might have been you, instead of me,” Chrom said, and gripped Robin’s shoulder with his uninjured hand. “It was _not_ your fault. You want to put all of that behind us? Then forget this. I’m fine, and in a few days I won’t even need this sling anymore.”

Robin sighed through his teeth, and then nodded. “Fine.” They stood in silence for a few moments, and Robin fidgeted with the tassels at the neck of his cloak. “So, I’ll just be going, then, if there’s nothing else…”

“No.” Chrom moved to cross his arms, and then winced. “I think you should stay the night, in here.”

“What? Why?”

“So you can sleep, soundly and peacefully.” Chrom gestured to the bed. “It’s plenty big; we don’t have to worry about space, like in your little cot-”

“I don’t think we should sleep… together, anymore.”

“Robin,” Chrom said, and sat down on the bed with a sigh. “If you really want to go, then go. But I have a suspicion that the battle today will make those nightmares come back, for certain. It’s just sleep. We’ll keep our clothes on and everything.” He frowned. “Unless you and Tharja…?”

It was a convenient way out of this situation, even if it wasn’t true. Robin thought about it for a moment, studying Chrom sitting on the bed. Chrom must have seen Tharja talking his ear off all night, so of course he would wonder. Robin didn’t want to lie to Chrom.

He stared at the rug beneath their feet. There would be even less chance of being caught together here. The tents were thin-walled and anyone could untie the flaps and peek in. No one would walk into Chrom’s room uninvited.

And he really wanted to sleep beside Chrom, despite all of his instincts shouting at him that this was a bad idea. He did get more restful sleep with the other man beside him. It was… comforting.

“No, Tharja’s not… my girlfriend.” He looked back at Chrom.

“So, you’ll stay?”

Robin nodded, biting his bottom lip.

Chrom smiled, and it drew Robin’s attention back to his mouth. “Good.”

The prince reached for the lanterns and partially shuttered them, then brought a candle over to the nightstand. Robin stood still for a few moments in this borrowed room, watching as Chrom moved around him. His heart fluttered with anticipation, and he moved to the chair and set his cloak and belts on it. His boots clunked to the floor as he removed them  and then he turned back to the bed.

Chrom was beyond the bed, shrugging into a plain sleeveless shirt. His back muscles shifted as the tight material slithered down his body, and Robin swallowed. Chrom shrugged the sling back on and turned around with a small smile, then folded the blankets down.

Robin felt a bit like his face was going to burst into flames when Chrom lay down on the bed and kicked off his boots with a well-practiced motion. With a lazy flick of his right hand, Chrom motioned Robin closer.

Robin lay down on his back in the bed, and rested his head on the second feathered pillow for a moment. A sigh of relief burst from him as the soft, cushioned mattress conformed around him. He practically floated. The hard cot in his tent was suddenly much less appealing. He grinned at the luxuriousness beneath him, and turned on his side toward Chrom. He could barely make out Chrom’s head in the darkness, turned toward him.

“I think I’ve forgotten what a proper bed feels like,” he said, and Chrom chuckled.

His smile slowly faded as he realized that he and Chrom were in bed together, again, and then he carefully scooted over to Chrom. He sat up for a moment to pull the blankets up from their feet, and then lay down with his cheek against Chrom’s warm chest.

If anyone else knew what was happening in here, they would surely be appalled.

He shifted around for a moment, his body sinking into the mattress beside Chrom, and then found a good position. “Is this okay?” he asked Chrom quietly.

The chest beneath him rose as Chrom drew in a deep breath. “Yes, it’s good.” He snaked his uninjured hand around Robin’s shoulders.  

It was quiet and still, and the room was dim but not black. Sooner than Robin thought possible, the taller man was asleep, and faintly snoring.

Robin peeked up at him, careful not to shift him too much. His eyes had adjusted in the dim light and he could observe Chrom without fear of being caught. Those long, soft eyelashes, the way his hair fell in his eyes... He wished he could be enamored with someone else, but here he was.

_Gods, is he attractive_ , he thought to himself. And then, a crazy idea popped into his head. 

Robin leaned up and carefully placed a kiss on Chrom's neck, right beside his voice box, just to see how it felt. It tasted good, and the feel of that pulse beneath his mouth…

He shifted away and put his head back on Chrom’s chest, running his fingers along his lips. He shouldn’t have done that… but he was very glad he did.

~*~

Chrom lay awake, his heart hammering in his chest. He thought for sure Robin could feel it, but he lay still in Chrom’s arms.

_He kissed me_ , Chrom thought, and his hand tightened on Robin’s shoulder. It was one thing to return a kiss, and another thing entirely to initiate. There was an attraction between them, and yet Robin held back and fought it every step of the way.

Chrom sighed, and rested his cheek against that white hair. Tonight, Robin smelled faintly of campfire, and beneath that, the smell of ink and weapon polish. Robin’s hand curled into a fist in the soft fabric at his chest.

Sleep, at least for Chrom, was not going to come easily. _But it is worth it, to touch Robin…_ Even though no one heard that thought, he still felt his cheeks heat up. The proper thought should have been that he was helping Robin get a full night’s sleep.

A few minutes later, Robin threw a leg over Chrom’s, and Chrom’s eyes flew open. _No, there will be no sleeping, especially with…_ that _pressed against me all night_. Even through the layers of clothing, he could feel it. He drew a slow breath and felt his own erection responding to the nearness of Robin’s.

He’d never been attracted to another man before. Or a woman, if he really thought about it. He could acknowledge Sumia’s shy attractiveness, and thought Maribelle quite cute in her own way, but he’d never longed to touch them, the way he did with Robin. It hadn’t happened all at once, but Chrom had become embarrassingly aware that his feelings toward his close friend had changed, shortly before they’d crossed the ocean.

He shifted his leg beneath Robin’s, brushing against a certain area.

Robin moaned, softly, and it took all of Chrom’s self-control to not tease more of that sexy noise out of Robin’s mouth.

It was going to be a long night.

~*~

Chrom awoke, feeling cold, and rolled over. Something was missing. His hand encountered a soft heat on the mattress beside him, rapidly cooling.

_Robin_. His eyes popped open, and he sat up. He was alone.

It was morning, and Robin had stayed the night in Chrom’s room… and to his knowledge, nothing had happened. Well, “nothing” wasn’t right. Robin had kissed him, and Chrom had accidentally-on-purpose slid his thigh against Robin’s erection.

Chrom exhaled in absolute frustration and flopped back down on the bed. He covered his eyes with one arm. His other arm, still in the sling, throbbed. Lissa had threatened to dose his food with a sleeping potion if he didn’t keep the sling on until she told him it was healed. She would do it, too.

This back and forth with Robin was driving him crazy. Sometimes Robin seemed hot, filled with desire, and those eyes… when Robin looked at him like he wanted to devour him, Chrom could barely hold himself back. But then sometimes he went cold, distant, and Chrom found himself doubting those moments of heat. Why wouldn’t Robin just admit that he had feelings for Chrom too? Why all the push and pull?

He sat up, and ran his fingers through his hair.

And then the bathroom door opened, and Robin slipped back in the room, fully clothed.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling at Chrom when he realized he was awake. Chrom noted that the awkwardness from last night was gone, and he looked lively. It made Chrom’s chest feel lighter, somehow. “How’s your arm?”

“Still hurts,” Chrom said rather thoughtlessly, and Robin winced. He hastily pushed forward, to move past his blunder. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a rock.”

Chrom felt his cheeks heating as that turn of phrase had him thinking of something that had also been like a rock last night. “Good, I’m glad.”

“I thought I would sneak out of your room first, and claim I’d fallen asleep discussing some plans, if anyone asked,” Robin suggested.

“Or, we could just leave together.” Chrom frowned. “The only people that would be down this wing are Frederick and Lissa. And you know Frederick’s been up for hours, and Lissa… hates mornings.”

Robin slowly agreed. “I suppose…”

“Nothing happened between us, Robin,” Chrom said, and rose.

Suddenly, Robin was acting awkward again. “Right, nothing happened.”

Chrom bit back a sigh, and turned to the packs on the desk, rooting around one-handed for a clean uniform. “So there’s nothing to be worried about, if someone sees us.” He peered over his shoulder at Robin, judging the effect of his words.

“I… fine.” Robin looked away.

Chrom strode over to him, attempting to dislodge that cool exterior and open up some of that heated core. He caught Robin’s hand from his side. “Are you embarrassed of me? I thought we were going to put all this behind us.”

Robin’s eyes widened as he defended himself. “No, I… just don’t want anyone to think anything is happening between us.”

“Fine,” Chrom responded after a moment, internally frustrated. 

They still left together, though, and headed down to grab some breakfast. As Chrom had said, nobody was in the hallway when they exited Chrom’s room together, and nobody commented that they entered the mess hall together.

Robin relaxed as they ate and spoke about anything and everything. It was almost as if, now that they were in the “public” eye, they could return to that easy friendship.

Their conversation moved quickly to strategy. Robin was nothing if not dedicated, Chrom thought. He had a great analytical mind, and he seemed to actually enjoy planning and organizing. Chrom tried to follow along with the scenarios, but eventually he just shrugged helplessly.

“I’m sorry, Robin. I need to see it… I can’t just visualize what you’re telling me.”

Robin frowned. “Oh, right. Well… okay. If you give me a little time I can get my maps in some semblance of order, and then show you.”

“Go ahead,” Chrom said, and Robin practically leapt to his feet. Chrom was very pleased to catch Robin looking back at him once, before leaving. _It is progress, of a sort,_ he thought. He sat back and took a big bite, feeling a strange emotion in his chest.

“Good morning, Prince Chrom,” a low voice said behind him. He looked up as Tharja sat beside him and smiled deviously. Chrom swallowed down his suddenly tasteless mouthful. “Might I have a word?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chrom’s PoV is a lot of fun to write. Also, Tharja is turning into my favorite Chrobin wingman, besides Gaius.   
> Next chapter should be out within two weeks. I think there’re two more chapters to this little story.   
> I’m planning to keep my AO3 profile fairly up to date with estimate upload dates for all my multi-chapter fics, so if you’re interested in finding out when an update is happening, check there. If there are any delays I’ll post it there, as well.   
> Please let me know what you think! I hope you enjoyed. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 

Robin turned back at the mess hall door, resting his hand on the doorjamb, and watched Chrom for a moment. Perhaps it was due to his indiscretion last night, but he couldn’t leave without catching one last glance of the prince. He felt closer to him today, as if by sharing a real bed, they’d cemented something between them. Absently, his hand wandered up to his neck where the bite mark still ached.

Robin had felt Chrom’s hair in his fingers, tasted his mouth and his skin, and even felt his teeth marking him. Yet he still wanted _more_ , desperately. Robin wanted to rush back to him and kiss him. Dangerous, crazy words hung on the tip of his tongue.

He took a step back into the room, and licked his dry lips.

_Chrom, I really want-_

And then Chrom looked up, right at him, and Robin was certain his desires were plain on his face. He was caught in that gaze for an instant, trapped, and then realized he was right next to the door.

He darted out of the hall, then pressed his back against the wall just beyond the entrance, breathing hard. His hands flattened against the rough boards as he sucked in a deep breath.

What was he thinking, staring at Chrom like that, in front of everyone in the dining hall? There weren’t that many Shepherds around in the hall this morning, after last night’s libations, but still…

Tharja was right, he _was_ an idiot.

He thumped his head back against the wall, once, and then retreated to his tent.

In relative solitude, he flopped down on the unused cot. It felt hard and tight, and very uncomfortable. He growled his frustrations aloud, dragging his fingers down his forehead as if he could draw out his desires and discard them. As he moved, the bite ached, and he winced at the reminder of Chrom’s fingers ghosting along his skin.

It was growing harder and harder to resist Chrom. He had _kissed_ him… Next time, Robin might do something else, as he grew more comfortable in his presence.

A small voice wondered why he didn’t just give in (it sounded suspiciously of Tharja’s alto tones), but he shoved it away.

He rose, moving to his desk, determined to gather up the maps he had been speaking with Chrom about. All his supplies were still neatly organized in their carrying cases, but the cot and desk had been set up. He dumped out the whole satchel of maps onto the desk. They tumbled over each other, and he eyed the notations on the wrapped papers before selecting the two he meant to pull.

He’d already made plans for the two possible outcomes of attacking the garrison, so he flipped through his bags and located his planning notebook.

But the plans drifted past his eyes, unseen. His mind quickly drifted back to the touch of Chrom’s body beneath his. Even in sleep, Robin was drawn to the man.

He had awoken practically grinding himself against Chrom, and had rushed into the bathroom to try and cool down. He hadn’t expected Chrom to be waiting for him when he came back to the main room. Robin exhaled, feeling that heat course through his body as he recalled the touches.

“Robin?” Frederick called, and swept into the tent without a moment’s pause.

Robin spun toward him in surprise, a hand to his cheek to cover the flush of his skin.

The knight kept his voice low. “I hadn’t expected you awake so early, but I saw you leaving the dining tent.”

Had he seen Robin’s reaction to Chrom? _Oh, gods_ … But Frederick was already looking down at the papers in his hands, and if he had seen Robin’s reaction, he wasn’t saying anything about it.

“Oh… what can I do for you?” Robin felt his ears heat up as Frederick came close to the table and set his paperwork down in front of Robin.

“I’ve taken the opportunity to pull together a list of our provisions,” Frederick said, flipping through the neat, tidy writing.

Frederick, very much a morning person, had been very busy. The lists he brought Robin were complete and very detailed. Robin quickly fell into his planning mindset, and with Frederick’s assistance he was able to plot out exactly how far they could travel before restocking became necessary.

The garrison’s castle was well-fortified and well-stocked – the perfect location for the Ylissean army to wait. Robin came to the conclusion that they should stay here a few days and reassess the Valmese movements across the continent.

“We’ll send out all our mounted units in pairs, starting this afternoon,” he said to Frederick, motioning a full circle with a pencil on the largest map, “to get a good idea of where the Valmese armies are. We’ll have to stay here for a few days, but it will be worth it to have information gathered by our own eyes, rather than relying solely on the Valmese spies.”

Frederick agreed whole-heartedly with that idea, and they moved on to other planning.

Over an hour later, once Frederick had left with his orders, Robin realized he’d forgotten all about Chrom. He returned sheepishly to the dining hall, but Chrom was gone. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

~*~

“Hello, Tharja,” Chrom greeted, taking a big sip of water to wash down his breakfast. “What can I do for you?”

She took Robin’s recently vacated seat, and leaned her elbow on the table. Robin had told Chrom there was nothing going on between him and the dark-haired mage, but Chrom was suddenly nervous in her presence. She cared for Robin a great deal, and he hoped she wouldn’t be upset at his attentions.

“I wanted to talk to you about Robin.” She smiled, and Chrom wondered if she meant that look to be reassuring, or terrifying. He was leaning toward the latter.

“What about him?” he asked.

“He’s been sleeping a lot easier when you’re around,” she said. “He knows it, too.”

“I’m glad,” he said guardedly. “I’m trying to help him.”

“The thing is,” she said, leaning in further, “Robin… really likes you.”

Chrom stared at her, his face calm for all of an instant before a smile broke across it. It made his heart beat faster, and he felt suddenly light-headed. He was fairly certain of that fact before she said it, but it was much better to hear it from someone who knew Robin.

Tharja continued, “But, he’s terrified that he’s going to ruin your reputation, or get you removed from the throne, if he acts upon his feelings.”

Chrom’s giddy smile faded instantly. “Really? Why would he think that?”

Tharja shook her head, and her black hair shifted over her shoulders. “I’m not certain where he got this idea. Perhaps it is that everyone is always speaking of your eligible bachelor status, or that the visible couples within our group are between a man and a woman.”

As usual, Robin was thinking of the larger picture, and Chrom was focused on the details. Chrom frowned.

Tharja continued, her voice softer. “In Plegia, men can take other men as partners. Is it not the same in Ylisse?”

“It’s… not common, but there are no laws against it,” Chrom stammered, shifting on the bench. The conversation had just taken a turn into strange, uncharted territory. He’d never spoken with anyone about his feelings toward Robin, except for Robin himself. And for Tharja to casually discuss this… it was almost surreal.

At least he wasn’t hearing this from Robin directly. He could think about it now, rather than being put on the spot by his clever tactician.

“Robin is really… worried about this?”

Tharja nodded. “He cares for you, deeply. You just need to convince him that there’s nothing wrong with the two of you being together.” Tharja shrugged, as if it were that simple.

“I see.” Chrom narrowed his eyes and studied her for a moment. “Why are you doing this?”

Tharja looked hard at him. “I want him to be happy. Gods know, there’s enough darkness surrounding him. He deserves some happiness… and he’s happy, mostly, when he’s with you.”

She inclined her head to Chrom, and her words set his thoughts spinning around like they were attached to a centrifuge.

He couldn’t help Robin come to terms with this, when he kept pushing Chrom away. Somehow, he had to convince Robin that no one would be upset if they pursued a relationship.

He pushed his glass along the table, and then an idea formed.

“Tharja… would you help me with something?”

She tilted her head, and Chrom could tell her curiosity was roused. “Of course. What did you have in mind?”

~*~

Robin was writing down a scenario in his notebook, the quill scratching along the paper, when he heard the flap of his tent swish. He held up a finger behind him, and continued to write, finishing his thought.

The person stepped up beside his table, but he held his focus, and then set the quill back in the inkwell. He looked up at Tharja, who was standing patiently beside him.

He smiled, turning on his stool, and then winced as his body protested the sudden movement. His left foot, which had been crossed under his right, was numb and tingly. “Hi, Tharja. What are you doing?” He twisted his back gently, and then stood.

The tent was dark, and the one lantern on the desk gave off a dim circle of light. Apparently he had been at this longer than he thought.

“It is dinnertime.” She looked over the map spread across the table.

“I think I’ll grab some food a little later,” Robin said, eyeing his strategy. He already saw something that could be enhanced, and reached absently for the quill.

“Oh, no, I don’t think so,” Tharja said, plucking the quill from his fingers. “Chrom is making an announcement and wants everyone to be there.”

“An announcement?” Robin narrowed his eyes. “He didn’t mention anything about it this morning…”

Tharja shrugged. “Gaius told me that we’re all supposed to gather tonight. Your planning can wait until after dinner.” Her tone grew sterner. “I know you’ve been doing this all day, without pause.” She practically tugged on his arm, pulling him from the stool.

He frowned, but had to agree. Now that he was standing, his body was telling him in no uncertain terms that it had been neglected today. He felt a headache gathering in the back of his eyes, possibly from the dim lighting, and his stomach growled a harsh protest.

Tharja collected his cloak and handed it to him, and then herded him out of the tent. They took a quick stop by the bathroom, and then headed into the dining hall.

Two seats at the long table had been reserved for them, and Robin was both glad and disappointed that he wasn’t close to Chrom. He was seven or eight seats from the center, and seated beside Gaius. They were on the same side of the table as Chrom, so there would be no glances across the table at him.

They were two of the last Shepherds to take their seats.

Tharja set a glass in his hand. “Wine, again?” he asked, instantly suspicious, and set it down.

She looked calmly back at him, taking a long drink from her own glass. “Robin, you said yourself that we’re staying here for a few days. We may as well enjoy ourselves while we’re here, because when we’re on the road, there won’t be frivolities like this. And… I worry about you, working all the time. Even tacticians deserve a break every once in a while.” She reached out and patted his hand, wrapping it around the goblet.

He frowned, and then nodded. “I suppose you’re right, I can afford to relax. But I’m taking it easy tonight.” It was a small miracle that he woke up without a hangover this morning, with how much he’d consumed last night.

Her eyes glittered with barely contained laughter.

Robin narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at her, to emphasize how serious he was. He knew she was trying to help him relax, but still... “Tharja-”

“Robin, could you help?” someone interrupted him. He spun to his other side, to see Cordelia leaning over him, a heavy pan in her hands. He stood up and caught the other side of the dish, lowering it to the table.

He winced as the motion stretched the sore bite on his neck, but it seemed to be healing. Part of him was a little sad that it would soon be gone.

“Did you prepare all this?” Robin asked the red-haired Pegasus Knight, motioning down the table, as other dishes were being placed at regular intervals.

Cordelia smiled. “I was told that we needed to prepare something special for tonight, so Sumia and I made meat pies and baked sweet potatoes. There’s dessert, too. Oh, excuse me!” Cordelia rushed down the aisle to help Sumia with another heavy platter.

Robin kept his head and his wits about him throughout the meal, this time. He maintained his own pleasant drinking, which took the edge off of his concern. As the meal progressed, Gaius’s stories grew louder and more elaborate. Lissa was seated on the other side of Gaius, and she grinned and giggled at his jokes.

Robin found himself almost completely relaxed by the time the meat pies were served.

As the meal wound down, Chrom stood up from the center of the table, and called for silence.

“I’m sure you all are wondering what the special occasion is,” he said, looking around the table at the almost forty Shepherds gathered there. “We haven’t had much opportunity or cause to celebrate, since we crossed the ocean.”

Chrom looked out over the Shepherds, and his eyes latched onto Robin’s for an instant. Robin felt his face heat up, and took another drink as an excuse to break the eye contact.

“It is my pleasure to announce that my sister, Lissa, is engaged.”

Lissa rose to her feet, blushing at the cheers that erupted at the announcement, and pulled Gaius to his feet by their clasped hands.

To Robin’s surprise, Gaius was blushing as well as he whispered something to the princess. She grinned up at her fiancée, and he kissed her forehead. Robin hadn’t realized the two were a couple, never mind close to marriage, but when Gaius and Lissa both looked at him, he rose and congratulated them heartily. Lissa threw her arms around his neck.

Chaos and noise broke out among the Shepherds, as they all came around the table toward Lissa. The Shepherds were like a big extended family, although Robin had never experienced that familiarity to the extent that Lissa did. She was their sweet (and sometimes mischievous) little sister, and this engagement was a big deal for all of the Shepherds.

The chatter and cheering pressed in on Robin’s ears as indistinguishable noise, and dizzily, he ducked back from the table. He moved to the outskirts of the group that was gathering around Lissa and Gaius.

Robin looked around for Tharja, who had been right beside him, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, Robin,” Chrom said from right beside him, and Robin jumped. The prince was smiling as he watched the Shepherds all gather around Lissa, but his body was turned partially toward Robin. “You seemed surprised at the announcement,” Chrom said, eyes bright and face flushed.

“I had no idea,” Robin agreed, dropping his guard. It seemed that Chrom was continuing that easy friendship they had fallen back into at breakfast, and Robin wasn’t going to disturb it. “They seem very happy.”

The prince smiled, and then shifted his shoulder, which was still in the sling. “I’ve known about Lissa and Gaius’s secret for a few weeks, but I thought now would be a good time for a celebration, to improve morale.”

“Did you put this together all by yourself?” Robin asked Chrom, gesturing to the impromptu party.

Chrom's grin deepened, and he moved a little closer as the room grew louder. “Of course not. Frederick organized most of it, but it was my idea to have a celebration. This seemed a perfect opportunity.”

Robin nodded, looking around at the excited faces of the Shepherds. “It sure was,” he agreed. “I think we all needed a little respite.”

“Good. You said we’ll stay here a few days, and gather up our strength, right?” Chrom moved closer again, and his hand lightly touched the small of Robin’s back, through the cloak.

“Yes, that’s right,” Robin agreed slowly. He was suddenly aware of how close Chrom was getting. Through the fog that drifted over his mind, Robin sensed a set-up.

He shifted to his right, intending to subtly return to a safer distance, but Chrom’s hand tightened in his cloak.

“Chrom, what… are you doing?”

“In Ylisse, we can be with whomever we want,” Chrom said, his eyes focused intently on Robin’s face. He reached out and gently smoothed Robin’s hair across his forehead, and Robin’s lips parted at the touch. The gentle pressure of Chrom’s hand at his back grew more insistent as he pulled Robin closer. “Lissa can be with a Plegian thief, and nobody cares. And I can be with a man, if I choose. I want to be with you, Robin.”

“You’re too close, right now… what… what are you do-” Robin trailed off, unable to pull an argument together around the frantic beating of his heart. He stared into Chrom’s eyes, and his breath came faster.

Chrom was leaning closer and closer, those blue eyes filling his vision, and a warm hand pressed against Robin’s burning hot cheek.

“Chrom, please,” Robin whispered, and shut his eyes.

Chrom took that as permission, and kissed him, a light feathery brush of lips. Someone was going to see them, but Robin didn’t pull away.

Robin’s legs were shaking, but that taste was more intoxicating than the wine he’d been sipping all night. His hand slipped up Chrom’s back, clinging to his collar, feeling the warmth of his skin against the backs of his fingers. Their lips brushed together again, and then Chrom pressed harder.

Robin _wanted_ , desperately; desired to run his fingers down Chrom’s bare back, to be marked by him again. Need raced down his spine and pooled low in his gut. He let out a soft, involuntary moan against Chrom’s mouth, but even that sound didn’t draw him back to himself. He returned the kiss, deepening it, and was rewarded when Chrom groaned, softly.

His body was floating away from him on a wave of sensation, and for a few instants, he gave in to Chrom’s lips.

A whistle close by broke through the fog. It was a boisterous, raunchy sound, and more noise followed it. Was that… laughter?

Robin closed his mouth and his body straightened, and Chrom’s bright blue eyes pulled back a couple of inches. He was aware of Chrom’s hands wrapped all the way around him, holding their hips close together. Blurred faces hovered just beyond Chrom’s half-lidded, eager eyes. Those faces were watching, and judging…

_No, gods, no_. What just happened?

Heat rushed up Robin’s neck and face, and he felt like he was going to pass out. Everyone had seen them… _oh gods._

With panic singing in his veins, Robin slapped Chrom, and the prince let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get done… I only wanted to add about 500 more scenes (and loads more drama) to this one, so I had to rein it in.  
> The next chapter will be the end (and probably a little longer than normal!) Also… the explicit activity everyone, including me, has been waiting for. It'll be out in a couple of weeks, maybe sooner... I ended up writing a good chunk of the last chapter while trying to get this chapter in order.  
> Thank you to all my readers - over 200 kudos and almost 3,000 hits! I hope you enjoy (and please let me know if you did!)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, I've been holding onto this chapter for HOURS just tweaking... so I'm done. Erm, there's some explicit stuff in this one...  
> Enjoy the final installment (I hope!)

Chapter 7

Chrom’s heart thumped in his chest as he pressed his mouth against Robin’s, and he felt an exhale of surprise against his lips. For an instant Robin resisted, and then – to Chrom’s delight – he returned the kiss.

It was going to work! Chrom thought, smiling against Robin’s mouth. Robin would see that the only person making a big deal of it… was Robin himself.

His arm slipped out of the sling and wrapped against the smaller man’s back. Robin’s hand tightened on the back of Chrom’s collar, dragging him closer. Robin pressed his body against Chrom's, and there was that thrilling little moan again...

And then Robin’s whole body stiffened beneath his hands.

Chrom paused, and pulled back an inch or two. Robin’s brown eyes were wide and panicked.

A resounding slap echoed in the hall, and Chrom’s head lurched to the right. Had Robin just… struck him? He blinked, and looked back, hand to his stinging cheek.

With hands held up in front of him, Robin backed up a couple of paces. He was breathing hard, and his eyes darted over to the Shepherds, still crowded around Lissa and Gaius. All conversation had stopped, and they were watching their lord and their tactician.

“Robin,” Chrom began, taking a step toward him, intent on diffusing the situation.

“Don’t,” Robin hissed, and spread his fingers further, the intent clear – stay away. It seemed like he was about to bolt.

Beyond Robin, Chrom spotted Tharja with her hand over her mouth, eyes almost as wide as Robin’s. She noticed Chrom looking at her, and gestured urgently toward Robin, as if to say, _fix this_.

Chrom didn’t know how. Whispers started up amongst the Shepherds, and he took a few steps toward Robin, as he would approach a frightened warhorse. Chrom reached out his hand for Robin’s, almost brushing his fingers against Robin’s clenched fist.

Robin spun on his heel and fled.

“Wait!” Chrom shouted, but his tactician ducked out through the door.

Chrom covered his eyes with a hand. “Dammit,” he muttered. He hadn’t meant for it to go like _that_. It was supposed to be a tender moment, proving to Robin that a relationship between them would be accepted… and Chrom had screwed it up royally.

He hadn’t expected Robin to respond so enthusiastically to the kiss. He’d gotten a little carried away.

The whispers quickly escalated to full-volume conversations around him.

“Chrom,” a soft voice came from his side. He peered through his fingers at his sister. “You’d better go after him and explain,” she said, her brow furrowed. “He looked… pretty upset.”

“Right.” Chrom frowned, still upset with himself for what had happened. His cheek stung. He looked around for a moment, seeking a certain dark-haired mage, but she was gone.

Chrom shook his head – it was awfully convenient that she was missing when he needed her. Tharja would know where Robin was, for sure. He sighed, and then headed for the door. He had to find Robin, to set this right… even if he didn’t know how, just yet.

~*~

In his panic, Robin ran to the one place he knew Chrom wouldn’t look for him.

Robin shut the door and leaned back against it, his head reeling. The alcohol from the wine burned bright in his body – he had run all the way from the hall, and his heart was beating hard. The room tilted before his eyes as he clung to the door for a few moments.

Finally, the dizziness calmed somewhat, enough that he didn’t think he was going to be sick. There was a single candle sitting on the bedside table, with perhaps an inch of wax beneath the flame. The bed looked warm and inviting, but the room itself did little to heatthe chill in his body.

It probably wasn’t the best idea to hide in Chrom’s room… but the last time Chrom had gone looking for him, he had staked out Robin’s tent. He probably wouldn’t think to come here, at least for a few hours. It gave Robin some time to think about what had happened… and to figure out what to do now.

With a long slow exhale, Robin stepped away from the door. He moved to the bed on wobbly legs and sat down. His fingers dug into the rough fabric of Chrom’s cape, which had been flung carelessly onto the tousled blankets at some point during the day. The blankets that he and Chrom had slept beneath, last night.

Absently he brought the cape up to his face and breathed in. It smelled like Chrom.

Unbidden, he recalled that little groan Chrom had made, and then the lewd whistle… the shock on the Shepherds’ faces as they saw him kissing their prince. The surprise on Chrom’s face as he slapped him made Robin wince. He hunched his shoulders, and a pained laugh burst from him – he had slapped Chrom. What a stupid thing to do.

“Idiot,” he hissed at himself, and flopped sideways on the bed, curling his legs up beside him.

Why? Why had Chrom done that, in front of everyone? Robin’s cheeks burned, and he ducked his face into the cape. Why hadn’t Robin stopped it, instead of going along with it? He knew he shouldn’t, and yet he still gave into that kiss. Why did the gods taunt him so?

For an instant, he thought about what Chrom had said, right before he’d kissed him. _I can be with a man, if I choose_. What if… Chrom was right, and no one cared or minded if their prince was with Robin?

But the Shepherds had been surprised – he’d seen the looks they’d sent his way.

His stomach hurt, suddenly. With a shiver he rose from Chrom’s bed, dropping the cape to the floor in his haste. He started pacing, and nearly tripped into the chair at the desk.

What was he going to do? They had all seen that kiss.

Maybe… he should leave.

The thought made his stomach hurt even more, but he forced himself to think through it. He would be abandoning the Shepherds to their fates here in the middle of Valm, possibly dooming all of them to death. Even with Virion and Frederick, Robin doubted the Shepherds’ chances of getting through this without severe casualties. He shuddered. This was the only “family” he could remember. And Chrom…

No. He wasn’t going to think about Chrom, about how wonderful his body had felt pressed against Robin’s…

“Stop it!” He dug his fingers into his hair, growling in frustration.

There was a low knock at the door, and he froze, his heart stuffed up in his throat, making it hard to breathe.

“Robin, it’s me – I’m alone.”

Tharja. He relaxed a bit and went to the door, peeking out at first. Only when he was certain it was just her did he open the door all the way.

She slipped in quietly beside him, taking in his disheveled appearance without comment.

He opened his mouth, about to say something, but Tharja cut him off with a quick gesture.

“Don’t speak. I think you should just listen, for once, and stop trying to convince me.” She pushed him not unkindly back to the bed and sat down beside him. “Chrom was trying to show you that no one out there will care if you two are dating. Seriously, Robin… you’re the only one that cares about his reputation. And now that Lissa is engaged, she can provide heirs. Chrom doesn’t have to. What the two of you could have… is special, and you shouldn’t throw it away.”

He exhaled shakily, his thoughts in turmoil. Her words resonated with part of him. “May I speak?”

She rolled her eyes at him.

He said, “Everyone was staring at us. They were shocked. You heard the laughter, the mocking…”

“They weren’t upset with you kissing Chrom… Vaike hoots and hollers like that when he sees anyone kissing.” She paused, then added, “They only started staring after you slapped him.”

Robin bristled at her words. She made it seem like it was his fault. “I… wanted him to stop,” he snapped, and realized after the words were out that it was a lame excuse, and completely untrue. He hadn’t wanted to stop kissing Chrom… he just didn’t want to do it in public.

“Robin,” she chided.

“I – I can’t think straight, thanks to this damned wine!” he snarled, anger surging up from the depths of his confusion. “Why do you keep pushing me toward him?”

Tharja stared at him for a moment, while he panted, trying to get his breath back from more than just the outburst. “Because… you deserve happiness. And nobody will make you happy like he does.” She took one of his hands and patted it gently. “Not even me.”

“Th-tharja,” Robin said, shocked out of his own misery by her admission. He squeezed her hand.

“Don’t you dare pity me,” she whispered, and her smile was less than convincing. “I care for you, Robin. And I know Chrom does too – a great deal.” She looked up, as if hearing or sensing something that Robin couldn’t. “I should go, Robin. I won’t tell Chrom where you’re hiding. Just… think on what I’ve said.”

“Thank you,” he sighed, even though her words had brought him, if possible, more confusion. At least his stomach wasn’t hurting him any longer.

She patted his hand once more, wearing her little half-smile, and then left.

Robin leaned down and picked the cape up off the ground. He balled it up in his hands, thinking about what she had said. Tharja wouldn’t lie to him… he didn’t think she’d ever lied to him.

If what she said was true… then he had made all of this a great deal more difficult than it needed to be. He winced, and then lay down on the bed again.

_I’ll stay here for a little while, let this fog clear out of my head, and then go find Chrom,_ he thought, hesitantly. Something within him that had been tight and painful relaxed with that thought, and he breathed easier without that weight on his chest. He could ask Chrom about it – the prince wouldn’t lie to him, either.

Robin closed his eyes for a brief moment, tucking the bunched-up cape beneath his cheek.

Chrom’s voice rang out in memory - _I want to be with you, Robin_.

Robin didn’t stop the memories this time, of Chrom’s body in a hard line against his own, all muscles and sinew… that chapped, heated kiss, the way Chrom had caught his bottom lip between his teeth… the tenderness with which he held Robin all night long.

He didn’t intend to fall asleep, but something about the comfort of the bed, the scent beneath his face, and the alcohol, combined with his decision, sent him drifting off.

The nightmares caught up with him soon thereafter.

~*~

After a few hours of searching, Chrom stood at the door to his room, resting his forehead against the thick wood. Gods, he had screwed up. He couldn’t find Robin (or Tharja) anywhere, and now for certain the man hated him.

_Naga, please let him still be here in the castle, in the morning._ He hoped Robin had just found a good hiding spot, and was waiting for it all to die down. Robin wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye… he clung to that thought, even though he feared the opposite was true.

With tired hands, he twisted the doorknob and swept inside.

A single candle guttered on the nightstand, and he moved to light a second candle in the flame.

As he started removing his armor and belts, he heard a muffled sound coming from the bed.

He gripped Falchion’s hilt and stepped closer. He caught a glimpse of white hair as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, and he relaxed his hold on the sword. Relief ran through him, and he sighed.

Robin was stirring restlessly on the bed, in the midst of a nightmare.

Why had he come here, of all places? It was the last place Chrom would have expected…

“Oh,” he said.

Chrom sat down on the edge of the bed, and something swelled in his chest as he watched the sleeping man. He looked pained, vulnerable, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.  

“Robin,” he whispered softly, all thoughts of what had happened in the dining hall fleeing at the sight of his companion in pain. He put a bare hand on Robin’s clammy forehead, and the man roused partially.

“Gods, no,” Robin whispered, and clenched his fists in the fabric at his face. It was Chrom’s cape. Robin continued, shifting a booted foot along the bed, “Chrom… I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay.” Chrom knew the apology was part of the dream, but the agony in Robin’s voice made him react. He wanted to kiss that pain away. Chrom smoothed his hand down Robin’s hair to the back of his neck, but Robin continued shifting and muttering, thoroughly caught in the nightmare.

It was only when Chrom lay down beside him that Robin’s thrashing stilled. He pulled Robin into his arms and simply held him, aware that, for whatever reason, his presence helped Robin’s nightmares fade. Chrom was in only a thin undershirt and his pants, having stripped off the rest as quickly as possible. He’d even discarded the sling, so his arms were free and unencumbered.

Robin’s breathing slowed against his chest, and one hand rested on Chrom’s bicep. The room was quiet and still, and Chrom closed his eyes, exhaustion getting the better of him.

And then Robin awoke. His body tensed up, drawing Chrom back to full alertness. Robin raised his head and stared up at Chrom for a few seconds, his breathing shaky.

“Hey,” Chrom said.

Robin ducked his face against Chrom’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep here,” he whispered, muffled.

“It’s okay - you can come in here anytime you want.”

“That’s not the point,” Robin said. His body trembled, and Chrom clung to him tighter. He wasn’t letting Robin get away this time. Bit by bit, Robin relaxed against him, and his shivering slowed, then ceased.

Chrom ran his fingers along Robin’s back and neck, and spoke. “Robin… I’m sorry about earlier.”

“No,” Robin muttered, and then raised his head. Their faces were inches apart. “I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have slapped you.” One of Robin’s hands sneaked up and grazed Chrom’s cheek. That gentle touch felt so good, and Chrom wanted more. He resisted, though, and kept himself calm.

“It’s not the first time I’ve been slapped,” Chrom said with a shrug.

“Oh, right… Sumia,” Robin said, and a faint smile crossed his mouth. It faded relatively quickly, leaving Chrom a little cold inside.

Robin’s hand stilled. “I… er…” Robin looked away, and even in the dim lighting Chrom could tell he was blushing. The words rushed out of his mouth. “Tharja told me that none of the others will care if you and I… become a couple.”

Chrom held very still. “That’s right. What of it?”

“Is it true?” Robin rose up on his elbows and met Chrom’s eye. In the faint light of the candle, Robin’s eyes shimmered.

“Yes. It’s very true,” Chrom said, and rubbed his thumb across Robin’s cheek as a tear trickled down. “Like I said before, we can be with whomever we want.”

Robin stared at him for so long that Chrom shifted uncomfortably beneath him. Eventually, Robin asked, “Why me?”

“You’re the best fighter I’ve ever known, and my best friend... whenever I need something, you’re ready with a plan in hand. You’ve seen me through my worst moments, and you’re still here…” His own face burned with that admission, and he rubbed the back of his head for a moment. “I can’t imagine doing this – or anything – without you by my side.”

“What am I supposed to do when you say things like that?” Robin breathed, and swiped at his cheek with the heel of his hand. “I… I’ve loved you for a long time, Chrom.” He shivered, and looked away, as if the admission had cost him something dear. “I just didn’t realize it until recently. If no one else cares… then maybe I can stay by your side… for a long time?”

Robin’s words raced through him like lightning, and he smiled. He sat up suddenly and caught Robin’s face between his hands, forcing those dark brown eyes to look straight at him.

“Gods, Robin. Of course you can! Nothing would make me happier. I love you too.” He leaned in, and Robin closed his eyes, his mouth parting eagerly. Chrom paused, and after a moment, Robin peeked one eye open. “Can I kiss you without getting slapped or shoved away, this time?” Chrom asked, a smirk brushing his mouth to take the sting out of his words.

A real, genuine smile blossomed on Robin’s face. “I might slap you if you _don’t_ kiss me,” he said.

Chrom moved in, and Robin shifted to meet him. It held the same intensity as the kiss from a few hours earlier, only it lasted a decent while longer.

They broke from the kiss as Chrom stifled a yawn, ducking his head sheepishly against Robin’s collarbone. Robin chuckled, one hand gently massaging Chrom’s neck as if he couldn’t get enough of touching him.

“I’m exhausted from trying to find my tactician,” Chrom said, and yawned again. “Shall we get some sleep?”

“Okay.” Robin rose and quickly removed his cloak and boots, then reached for the blankets and slipped in beside Chrom. He laid his head on Chrom’s shoulder, the silky hairs on his forehead clinging to Chrom’s neck. His fingers ran along Chrom’s collarbone, and then he snugged his body up against Chrom’s.

Chrom was asleep before Robin was done settling in against him.

~*~

Some time later, Robin awoke to a hard… something, pressed against his rear, through the layers of clothing. It was still nighttime, although Robin sensed dawn wasn’t too far off.

He turned around under Chrom’s arm, fully awake and aroused by that presence at his back. For a moment, Robin balked at the thoughts passing through his head – how he desired to run his hands along Chrom’s naked body, to have Chrom’s mouth devouring the rest of Robin’s skin.

And then he realized that those thoughts… were okay.

_“I can’t imagine doing this – or anything – without you by my side.”_ Chrom’s words made a silly little smile touch his lips, and he nuzzled into Chrom’s chest.

Chrom gave a little sigh and turned onto his back at Robin’s gentle pushing. A faint snore rose up, proving he was still asleep. Still lying on his side, Robin slid a hand under the blankets and gently undid the button fly on Chrom’s pants. Beside him, the prince didn’t stir, even when Robin’s breathing quickened in anticipation.

Robin slipped his hand beneath Chrom’s pants and palmed his erection, curling his fingers around it.

He had dreamed of this, more than once, but the silky feeling of it was so much better than he’d imagined. The prince moaned, loudly, and then the sound abruptly cut off as he woke up and clapped a hand to his mouth. Chrom’s eyes shone dimly in the partial light, wide and hazy.

Chrom removed his hand from his mouth, and blinked. “Robin? What are you- _ohhhhh_ ,” Robin moved his hand up and down once, and Chrom’s back arched, fingers flexing in the blankets.

“Is this all right, Chrom?” Robin asked.

“Gods, yes,” Chrom whispered, his eyelashes fluttering.

Robin shifted so his mouth hovered right beside Chrom’s. “How about this?” he whispered.

“Yes,” Chrom sighed, and pulled Robin down to capture his mouth. Chrom’s lips parted beneath his.

Then it was Robin’s turn to moan, breaking from the kiss and throwing his head back, as Chrom shifted his hand and reciprocated through the fabric of his pants. The strange, delightful feeling of someone else touching his intimate parts raced up his spine – the fact that it was _Chrom_ sent that spark of feeling straight into his brain. Chrom undid the tie at his pants and slipped his fingers beneath the fabric.

Chrom’s mouth brushed against Robin’s exposed neck, and his hand continued to send waves of excitement rolling through Robin’s body. Robin swallowed hard against the gentle graze of teeth, a whine escaping from his throat as Chrom moved his hand up and down. Robin tugged on Chrom’s cock, which was still in his hand, and Chrom hissed against the delicate skin of his throat.

He felt Chrom’s tongue slide along his neck and then his mouth latched on, sucking on one spot for a few blissful moments.

Chrom giggled charmingly as he removed his mouth. Robin heaved his eyes open, needing to see the face that went along with that sound.

Chrom’s eyes practically glowed in the faint light, and he grinned. He ran his finger against the side of Robin’s neck, where he had been sucking.

“It looks good,” Chrom whispered, and a delighted shiver ran through Robin as he realized that Chrom had marked him with a hickey, next to the fading bite mark. His hand flew up to his neck, and the desire to mark Chrom in return overcame him.

Robin slipped his hips over Chrom’s, straddling him, and caught Chrom’s hands. He pressed them up against the pillows and kissed along Chrom’s jaw. Chrom laughed and squirmed, ticklish, as Robin slipped his face into the crook of his neck.

Robin marked him right beside his larynx, and stared proudly at the red spot he’d made. _Mine_ , Robin thought, his thumb rubbing against it. Chrom smiled, panting and watching Robin above him for a moment. He then tugged Robin’s shirt up over his head.

The rest of their clothing came off in a flurry of touches and not-so-soft kisses, and somehow Robin ended up on his back, with Chrom kissing his way down his body. Chrom’s large hand pressed against Robin’s bare chest, gently holding him down to the bed as his lips brushed along his stomach, his chin touching against Robin’s erection.

“Ahh,” Robin breathed, as his hips bucked. Gods, why did every touch and kiss feel _that_ good? He wanted to touch Chrom as he was being touched, but he was losing himself in the sensations.

Chrom seemed to sense his hesitance, for he whispered, “Relax, Robin. Let me do this.” He licked from the base of Robin’s dick to the head, and another moan burst from Robin’s mouth. Chrom’s hand slid down his chest, and Robin didn’t try to rise again.

And then Chrom slipped his mouth over the head of Robin’s straining erection.

It was warm and soft in there, with just a hint of teeth. Chrom did something with his tongue, and Robin flopped back against the bed, boneless and crying out with the sensation of it.

He was completely under Chrom’s control, his body responding to every touch, every caress, and nothing else in the world mattered in that moment, except Chrom. He had long since given up trying to be quiet.

Chrom sucked and swirled his tongue as he fell into a rhythm. His fingers gently curled around Robin’s balls, his thumb rubbing back and forth. Robin’s toes curled on the sheets, pressing his hips up against Chrom’s firm hand, holding him in place.

“C-Chrom!” Robin gasped, fingers scrambling against the blanket for purchase. “I- gods!”

He came quickly, the feelings just too good, and the orgasm crashed over him in pulses of ecstasy. Robin’s body felt consumed by a warmth that seeped into his bones, leaving him slack. Chrom rose, swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, and then nuzzled into Robin’s collarbone. Robin twined his fingers in Chrom’s hair, and sighed.

“How was that?” Chrom asked, when Robin’s breathing had calmed somewhat.

Robin smiled as he sat up, gently pressing Chrom’s shoulders back into the bed.

“Why don’t I show you?”

~*~

Robin paused just outside the dining hall, and Chrom turned to him.

“It’s okay,” Chrom whispered against his hair, and Robin drew in a deep breath of Chrom’s fresh, clean scent. They had taken advantage of the working plumbing in the bathroom before coming down here… in more ways than one.

He tried to smile at Chrom, but it felt a little strained.

“You’re not… still thinking this is wrong, are you?” Chrom asked.

“No.” Robin reached out and took Chrom’s hand, then leaned into his ear. “I’m… embarrassed with how I reacted, is all.” It took more than he thought it would to admit it, and he ducked against Chrom’s shoulder as his face flushed with heat.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chrom said, very reasonably. “They’re probably all quite hungover in there, and won’t much care.”

Robin nodded, a little too fast, and looked up at Chrom. The prince leaned down and planted a soft kiss against his forehead.

With a little twitch at his collar, Robin moved into the room, Chrom keeping pace beside him. Robin clung to Chrom’s hand like it was a rope and he was dangling over a cliff. The room was mostly empty, and small pockets of Shepherds sat together, quiet in the aftermath of the celebration last night.

“Mornin’, Blue,” Gaius said from his seat as they walked past. Sully had her head down on the table beside him, but looked up at Gaius’s voice. Stahl was beside them, but barely glanced away from his plate of food. Robin inspected their faces closely as Chrom returned the greeting, but could find no condemnation.

They collected plates of food and mugs of coffee, and Chrom guided them back to sit across from Gaius and the two knights. Sully had her head down on the table again, and didn’t stir when they sat down. The thief chuckled as he nudged her and got no response.

As Robin rested his elbows on the table, the scent of his black coffee and Chrom and Gaius’s easy conversation drifting around him, he found himself smiling. They would be going back to war soon, and he and Chrom would have their hands full with planning and fighting – but for now, they could relax, and enjoy each other’s company.

“…Right, Bubbles?”

Robin jumped, and stared at Gaius. “…What?”

“I said, looks like you two reconciled your differences.”

Robin tilted his head and looked at Chrom. “Yes, you could say that.” And deliberately, because he could, he reached out and touched Chrom’s hand resting on the table. Chrom looked very pleased with himself.

A few minutes later, Gaius prodded Sully again, and she roused, swatting his hand away. “Well, we’d better see her to her tent, at least,” he groaned, and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, Stahl, help me.”

“I’m not done!” he protested, but stood up.

“She’s your girlfriend,” Gaius argued. Stahl gave his plate a mournful look, but took Sully’s arm and hoisted it over his shoulder.

“See,” Chrom whispered against his hair, as the trio walked away. His hand brushed up Robin’s wrist, beneath the sleeve, and the touch made Robin shiver. “It’s fine, like I told you.” Chrom’s other hand slipped down to his knee, gently caressing with his thumb.

Robin exhaled shakily, and then noticed Tharja entering the hall out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head away from Chrom, who sat up but kept his warm hand on Robin’s leg. Tharja spotted Robin and Chrom sitting close together, and a delighted smile broke across her face.

She came right to him. “Good morning,” she said.

“Hi, Tharja,” Robin replied.

Tharja’s finger dipped beneath Robin’s collar, exposing one of the hickeys on his neck. Chrom watched, his mouth partially open, and then swallowed. Robin caught Tharja’s wrist and removed her hand, and she giggled.

Her dark eyes slipped to Chrom’s neck, seemingly knowing exactly where Robin had left his own mark on the prince’s body. It was shadowed by Chrom’s high collar, but the red mark was there, in plain sight.

“Did you two have a good night’s sleep?” Tharja asked, mock-innocently.

Robin’s cheeks burned, but Chrom’s hand squeezed tight on his knee beneath the table in reassurance. He looked past Tharja, and smiled at Chrom, who brought his mug up to take a sip. Chrom was watching Robin, waiting for him to respond, and a mischievous answer popped into his head.

Robin said, “I’m still tired, actually… maybe we can go back to bed after this?”

Chrom snorted into his coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was so satisfying… but I feel a little empty inside now. This is the first long-ish Fire Emblem fic I’ve completed. (If you’re interested in more of this pairing from me… I’ve got another one in the works, and I’ll probably start posting that in a few weeks.)  
> And here’s some cuddling pictures to finish it off: http://falloutblu.tumblr.com/post/91613841527/im-so-dead-i-can-only-draw-tiny-kisses  
> http://falloutblu.tumblr.com/post/128015845937/another-kissu  
> AND Blue made some amazing art for this fic... this is the scene from Chapter 2 (I'm dying over how perfect this is, the emotion and everything): http://falloutblu.tumblr.com/post/129633540252/art-4-one-of-my-fav-chromrobin-fics-sleeping  
> I really hope you enjoyed this, and please let me know if you did!

**Author's Note:**

> I have to say that this was inspired by Blue's artblog (falloutblu.tumblr.com), who really (unintentionally) convinced me that male Robin/Chrom was just as good, if not better, than fem Robin/Chrom. My version of mRobin is moodier, less willing to open up to others, and more set on appearances than femRobin is. 
> 
> This story will feature some Explicit activities between Robin/Chrom. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


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